John Doolittle: “Mr. Chairman, this is why debating this issue with these folks is so maddening. They tell us about all the problems of…”

“Mr. Chairman, this is why debating this issue with these folks is so maddening. They tell us about all the problems of soft money. It is clear that we have these problems because of the limits that they refuse to adjust on hard money. Then when we attempt to adjust them for hard money, they talk about how unreasonable it is that we triple the limits. Well, inflation tripled. If that was reasonable, why can we not adjust the limitation? We vote to do that every year for Social Security recipients, federal retirees, everybody. Why is that unreasonable when it comes to campaigns? Look at this. Lamar Alexander, when he ran for president in 1996: 'Contribution and spending limits forced me to spend 70 percent of my time raising money in amounts no greater than $1,000.' That is outrageous. That is what the guy in Vermont does not understand. Let me tell my colleagues, he expects us, knowing what we know, to make the right changes. That is why we need to pass this amendment.”