James Davis: “the Hutchinson bill on balance is a good bill. I want to commend the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hutchinson), the…”

“the Hutchinson bill on balance is a good bill. I want to commend the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hutchinson), the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Hulshof), the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Allen) and all of us who worked very hard to put it together. It was the best we could do under some very rough circumstances, over opposition from Democrats and Republicans here. But I disagree with the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hutchinson) when he says we cannot do better. We have to do better. Look how far we have come just in the last year. Last year, we as freshmen had to fight like dogs just to get the bill heard on the floor of the House. We encountered numerous forms of subterfuge just to be heard on the merits. Tonight we have been much more successful in having an open and honest debate on campaign finance reform. We have had some very strong votes here tonight, Democrats and Republicans. We are making progress. We are starting to make it clear that we have found a way to close two of the most gaping loopholes in the system. Shays-Meehan has been to the Senate only once, not twice. It will go over there again tonight. Last year 52 Senators, Democrats and Republicans, voted in favor of the McCain-Feingold companion to our bill. Can they do better? They have to do better. Our system of democracy depends upon it. Let us not sell ourselves short tonight. Let us instead be ambitious. Let us pass the strongest campaign finance reform bill that we can.”