Political Quotes

Tom Udall: “I support the rule. Opponents of campaign finance reform are spreading erroneous information about Shays-Meehan. The…”

On the recordFebruary 12, 2002
I support the rule. Opponents of campaign finance reform are spreading erroneous information about Shays-Meehan. The opponents say Shays-Meehan violates the first amendment because it prohibits free speech. In order to reach this conclusion, one must assume money equals speech. Therefore, the rich man's wallet overwhelms the poor man's soap box. Not so in America. Shays-Meehan simply says that special interest television commercials must play by the same rules as Federal candidates. Corporate dollars, union dues, and unlimited dollars from wealthy individuals are prohibited, but groups are allowed to purchase and run television so long as they disclose the hard-dollar contributions. I urge my colleagues to support Shays-Meehan. It protects our first amendment rights. It protects our democracy.
Said by
Tom Udall
Democratic · New Mexico
Source
govinfo.gov

Editor's note · Context

Discussing support for the Shays-Meehan campaign finance reform during a House floor debate.

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