David Thomas: “I am opposed to this Shays-Meehan fiasco. It is not reform. This is just another example of big government picking…”

“I am opposed to this Shays-Meehan fiasco. It is not reform. This is just another example of big government picking winners and losers, and in my opinion the winners are the Democrats and the losers are the Republicans. It is amazing to me that Republicans would support this disarmament bill. It just violates our most precious freedom, the freedom of speech. It tilts the campaign playing field in favor of incumbents, and it creates a shield between voters and the Congress that is supposed to represent them. Many of my colleagues have taken the House floor to denounce what they say is too much money in American political campaigns. Well, such cries are rhetorically effective but factually deficient. Congressional candidates in 1996 spent less than $1.25 per citizen during the course of the campaign. Is that too much money to spend on democracy? Americans spend twice as much per year on yogurt than they spend on political campaigns. But do we have the will in this Congress to actually change the Constitution and limit freedom of speech in order to reform our campaign laws? Most of the Members of this Congress said 'no' in voting against a constitutional amendment that would actually limit it.”