Sean Patrick Maloney: “The current version of this bill contains an unprecedented provision which makes Members of Congress micromanagers. It…”

“The current version of this bill contains an unprecedented provision which makes Members of Congress micromanagers. It would essentially fire the general counsel and staff director of the Federal Elections Commission. Since when, Mr. Chairman, have Members of Congress gotten into the business of hiring and firing staff at the Federal Elections Commission? The Federal Elections Commission is a congressional campaign watchdog. How can Congress be put in charge of hiring and firing people who are supposed to be policing them? It is sort of like letting the inmates run the penitentiary. This is how it is being engineered: The FEC is a bipartisan commission made up of three Republicans and three Democrats. The Commissioners make all the final decisions: Salaries, decisions regarding who or what is investigated. It is all made on a bipartisan basis because four members must agree. The bill that is in front of us tonight and tomorrow would change all that. It would allow the general counsel and the staff director to be fired by just three Commissioners or by just one party.”