Louise Slaughter: “Congress desperately needs to reform our campaign finance laws. The Federal campaigns are becoming little more than a…”

“Congress desperately needs to reform our campaign finance laws. The Federal campaigns are becoming little more than a money chase to pay for increasingly expensive elections, and voter turnout is at an all time low. The most recent election cycle spent on the Federal election an estimated $1.6 billion, but less than half of the eligible Americans exercised their right to vote. The cost of political campaigns has simply become too high, threatening the integrity of our system of representative government. The American people are discouraged by a system in which money seems more important than issues, and the interests of money seems more important than the concerns of working families. But the legislation the House will vote on today actually increases the amount of money that can be contributed by wealthy individuals and special interests, and it includes a gag rule that makes it even more difficult for working Americans to get information on issues that matter to their families. To add insult to injury, this misguided legislation has been brought to the House under suspension of the rules.”