George Miller: “many of us this morning are demanding that Speaker Newt Gingrich schedule a vote on campaign finance reform this month.…”

“many of us this morning are demanding that Speaker Newt Gingrich schedule a vote on campaign finance reform this month. Rest assured that we will continue to make this demand until it is complied with. This is not an issue that either party can avoid. Massive unregulated contributions of the so-called soft money have corrupted both parties and have corrupted this institution. Yet it is the Republican Speaker of the House and the Republican Leader of the Senate who are today standing in the way of reform. Today, money in politics affects everything lawmakers do, even our health and safety. For example, the Meat Institute and the Grocery Manufacturers reportedly spent over $300,000 in the 1996 elections. And today they are in the Congress actively lobbying against new proposed meat inspection standards in the wake of the massive outbreak of E. coli. America should make it clear to those in charge of this House; they should tell Speaker Gingrich and tell those in charge of the Senate, Majority Leader Lott, that they want him to ban soft money; that they want the Congress back so their voices can be heard and they want it done this month.”