Political Quotes

“I am proud to stand with Senator Hollings and Senator Byrd and many other Senators today in support of Senate Joint Resolution 18. This measure proposes a constitutional amendment to allow the Congress to limit the amount of money that is spent on campaigns. I treasure the Constitution of the United States of America and never have I stood on the floor of the Congress supporting such a measure, except for the equal rights amendment and this measure. It is very rare that I stand to amend this Constitution. But we are about to lose our democracy. It is that serious. I think what Senator Hollings has come up with here is a way to save this democracy. So, I am so proud to be a cosponsor of his measure. Total campaign spending for general election congressional races has increased more than sixfold in the past 20 years. The total amount of money raised by Republicans and Democrats in 1996 was almost $900 million. In my own reelection campaign, I believe that it could cost at least $20 million. I come from California. We have 33 million people. And $20 million would actually be less than what was spent several years ago to win a U.S. Senate seat. It is an unbelievable amount. So it is undeniable that there is an extraordinary amount of money in political campaigns.”