Christopher Shays: “I rise to discuss an issue in the Shays-Meehan bill that has prompted some questions--what fundraising activities may…”

“I rise to discuss an issue in the Shays-Meehan bill that has prompted some questions--what fundraising activities may federal candidates and officeholders engage in. These are important and legitimate questions, and I intend here to clarify the lines drawn in the bill. It is a key purpose of the bill to stop the use of soft money as a means of buying influence and access with federal officials. As an important part of this goal, we have taken federal officials, including Members of Congress, out of the business of raising soft money for political parties, political committees and candidates. Federal candidates and officeholders, furthermore, cannot establish or control political committees that raise or spend soft money. We recognize that Federal officeholders and candidates raise money for nonprofit organizations. The bill applies some restrictions to such fundraising activities when the principal purpose of the organization involves get-out-the-vote and voter registration activities, or where the solicitation is specifically for the purpose of the funds being used for GOTV and voter registration activities. In addition, federal officeholders and candidates cannot raise money for nonprofit organizations to use on public communications that mention a federal candidate.”