Chuck Hagel: “today we have moved a step closer to implementing comprehensive campaign finance reform. With the help of Senator Mitch…”

“today we have moved a step closer to implementing comprehensive campaign finance reform. With the help of Senator Mitch McConnell, Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, the Open and Accountable Campaign Financing Act of 2000 will soon be placed on the Senate Calendar, ready for debate by the full Senate. I introduced the Open and Accountable Campaign Financing Act of 2000 along with Senators Bob Kerrey, Spence Abraham, Mike DeWine, Slade Gorton, Mary Landrieu, Craig Thomas, John Breaux, Kay Bailey Hutchison, and Gordon Smith as a bi-partisan approach to campaign finance reform because we felt it was a common sense, relevant and realistic approach. We offered it as a bipartisan compromise to break the deadlock on campaign finance reform and to bring forth a vehicle that could address the main holes in the net of our current system. The purpose of our legislation is to place more control and responsibility for the conduct of campaigns directly in the hands of the candidates. Our legislation is not the solution for all of the problems now facing us, but I believe it is a good solid beginning to accomplish meaningful campaign finance reform.”