Mike Levin: “Anyone who believes in grassroots activities must vote no on this amendment. It has been subject, as it has been true of…”

“Anyone who believes in grassroots activities must vote no on this amendment. It has been subject, as it has been true of other provisions, of grotesque mischaracterization. What this does is not open the flood gates. It is make sure there is no flood gate. Instead, there is a channel for grassroots activity indeed for the people to be heard. The Senate adopted this provision on a bipartisan basis to preserve for the States and for the local parties an important role in traditional grassroots activities: registration, get out the vote, voter identification. Everybody should understand these restrictions. The non-Federal of the State portion must be raised in accordance with State law, and many States prohibit corporate or labor union money. There is a limit by any entity of $10,000. There can be no mention, and I emphasize this, of a Federal candidate. There can be no expenditure of these moneys for broadcast television or for radio ads; and the State portion, the non-Federal portion, cannot be raised by a Federal office-holder or candidate. They cannot be transferred among committees. They cannot be raised in coordination with other political parties, and there has to be an allocation according to the FEC rules. There has to be a Federal hard-dollar match for these moneys. There is no way this opens a flood gate.”