Victor Fazio: “I just could not resist getting involved with my California friends in the debate in this measure, which I would like to…”

“I just could not resist getting involved with my California friends in the debate in this measure, which I would like to tombstone as the Richard Mellon Scaife Empowerment Act of 1998. This gentleman from the well-known banking family of course has inordinate influence in our political system, giving through nonprofit entities, certainly through think tanks, contributing soft dollars through organizations that he has little influence or interest in other than his desire to be helpful to his friends in the Republican party. This bill, of course, would give him the same kind of unlimited influence in Federal elections directly by taking all the caps off on what people are allowed to contribute to PACs, to candidates, to the national parties, to the State parties. So the Cook brothers from Kansas, for example, who have made a career out of pushing term limits around the country or Libertarian causes and Republicans who support them would have an unlimited amount of ability to be involved in each and every congressional race, races for the Senate. Mr. Chairman, this is really an amendment that offers the concept of free speech as defined by the size of wallets, and that really is my response to the comments the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay) has made, and others, about empowering people and giving them their First Amendment rights.”