Connie Mack: “the key issue in this debate is a simple one: Will we enforce the campaign laws already on the books or not? Will we…”

“the key issue in this debate is a simple one: Will we enforce the campaign laws already on the books or not? Will we concoct some new layer of confusing and complex rules and regulations to distract the voters from the real issue, or will we do the right thing? Are we going to insist that campaigns and candidates follow the current rules, or are we going to keep changing the laws each time there is a new scandal? If we can't--or won't--even enforce the laws we have now, what makes us think that a new set of laws will be more effective? The Senate and the American people have witnessed a flood of testimony in recent weeks and months about illegal foreign contributions, influence peddling, and money laundering at the highest levels of our Government. The Attorney General has finally called for an investigation in the face of mounting evidence that, to many of us, clearly warranted a special investigator months ago. Now, here we are debating a bill on the floor of the Senate that will not only add new regulations and restrictions to the people's ability to participate in the election of their own representatives, but which ignores the violations of campaign laws that apparently have already taken place. How does that play with the American people? I doubt it goes over too well. Sure, Americans are distrustful of all the money in campaigns.…”