Political Quotes

“I rise to take a few moments to explain why I will oppose S. 27 on final passage. At the outset, however, I want to congratulate my colleague John McCain for bringing this matter to a successful conclusion in the Senate. He has fought long and hard to get to this point. If this bill becomes law, we know that the Supreme Court will have the final say as to its constitutionality. Few doubt that the bill at least raises issues about the fundamental liberties guaranteed in the First Amendment. Having taken an oath to uphold the Constitution, I cannot vote for a bill I believe the courts are almost certain to strike down. Both the restrictions on issue advocacy contained in Title II of this bill, and the bill's total ban on soft money contributions to parties are, in my opinion, likely to be declared unconstitutional. Like the proponents of the bill before us, I believe that it is too difficult to mount a viable challenge to an incumbent Member of Congress; that Members of Congress spend too much of their time raising funds for their campaigns; that voter turnout is lower than it ought to be; and that advertisements by outside groups often drown out the voices of candidates. Worst of all, there is the lingering concern that fundraising considerations can affect Members' decisions.”