James A. Leach: “I rise in support of H.R. 417, the Shays/ Meehan Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 1999. The bill has flaws, the…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 417, the Shays/ Meehan Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 1999. The bill has flaws, the biggest of which is that it does not go far enough. I would have preferred it impose spending limits and greater restraints on political action committees--the so-called PACs. Never-the-less, Shays/Meehan is a significant and long overdue effort at addressing the most pressing ``democratic'' issue facing the nation. In a country where process is our most important product, what is true for sports is doubly so for politics--how the game is played matters. Lincoln's government of, by and for the people cannot be one in which influence is disproportionately wrought by those with large campaign war chests. A fitting corollary to Lord Acton's dictum that ``power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely'' is the precept that even more corrupting than aspiring to power is the fear of losing it. This survivalist instinct, the desire to hang on to power, is the principle reason why meaningful campaign finance reform has been so difficult to advance. The current system is an incumbent-based monopoly that rewards accommodation rather than confrontation with special interests. Campaign reform is about empowering citizens rather than influence peddlers. It is the equivalent of applying the antitrust laws to the political parties.…”