Frank Pallone: “I appreciate both your efforts, initiatives, as well as the gentleman from Massachusetts, in trying to come up with real…”

“I appreciate both your efforts, initiatives, as well as the gentleman from Massachusetts, in trying to come up with real campaign reform. We have had the opportunity in those prior Congresses when the Democrats were in the majority to vote on real campaign finance reform. I am not as optimistic as the gentleman from Massachusetts is, though, that the Republican freshmen who were voted in overwhelmingly in 1994 are necessarily going to be voted out because they do not campaign finance reform. I think that what they are counting on... is just being able to raise so much money, massive amounts of money from both special interests as well as wealthy individuals to just basically have those Republicans who are now incumbent be able to outspend their Democratic rivals, 2, 3, 4, 5 to 1. The sky is the limit. I think that this effort in the so-called Republican reform bill... was to accomplish just that, to make it possible for more money to come from wealthy people.”