Lynn C. Woolsey: “One of the things that the Republicans will accomplish with this legislation to upend the Presidential campaign finance…”

“One of the things that the Republicans will accomplish with this legislation to upend the Presidential campaign finance system is to drown out the voice of the people and to give more power, not less, to their well-heeled special interests. Actually, this repeal bill is the beginning of the end of any hope for a system of public financing for all elections in this country. So Mr. Chairman, I am not surprised. After all, the majority largely owe their unprecedented spending levels in the last election thanks to the Citizens United decision that turned on the spigot of anonymous, unaccountable corporate cash. And in keeping with the spirit of secrecy and lack of transparency, it's somehow fitting that this bill comes to the floor without any hearings, without any committee referral, without full debate or deliberation. We have a deeply corrupt campaign system, Mr. Chairman. Special interest money is having a corrosive effect on our democracy, eating away at the people's confidence in their government and their elected Representatives. The one beacon of light in this system is the public financing of Presidential campaigns. It is, I would remind everyone, a voluntary system. Americans must choose to opt in on their tax returns. It has served the country well, at limited expense. It needs updating. It does not need to be dismantled. We need more public financing, in all of our Federal elections, not less. H.R. 359 goes in exactly the wrong direction.”