Tom Udall: “the 2000 presidential election may well be remembered for ``hanging chads'' and other evidence of the imperfections in…”

“the 2000 presidential election may well be remembered for ``hanging chads'' and other evidence of the imperfections in our electoral system. The right to vote is our most precious freedom. We cannot afford to have a repeat of last fall's problems. The 2000 presidential election, therefore, should direct our attention once again to the need for campaign and electoral reform. Both political parties are motivated to address the issue in this 107th session of the Congress. I have already cosponsored legislation to provide states with the tools they need to ensure uniformity and improve voter accuracy and access. We must be careful, however, not to let our efforts to achieve voting reform mask the critical problem with our electoral process--the uncontrolled and pernicious influence of big money on the outcome of our elections. So, today, I rise in strong support of the Shays-Meehan legislation, which will help fix many of our system's problems. It is time for Congress to enact campaign finance reform because quite frankly, Mr. Speaker, our federal campaign finance system is broken. Last year, both parties spent unprecedented amounts in soft money for a new record in the campaigns for control of the White House and Congress. New Mexicans--like all Americans--are justifiably appalled by the fact that the amount of money spent in elections has increased exponentially with no end in sight.”