Political Quotes

“I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in opposition to H.R. 5912. H.R. 5912 terminates the public financing of nominating conventions. The Presidential Election Campaign Fund was created and designed to restore public confidence in the political process in a post-Watergate world. Since 1976, both parties have requested and received public funds to finance their nominating conventions, including as recently as this year. The aim of H.R. 5912 is to inject more private influence over elections, even though the current level is already appallingly high. This bill turns over another electoral function to private interests. It invites the very corruption the Presidential Election Campaign Fund was created to combat. This system needs to be reformed, not repealed, and we ought to be having a serious debate about the outsized role money plays in our politics. Because the majority has failed to act, the ranking member of the House Administration Committee, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, was forced to have his own forum on the poisoning effect of money in politics. We have not considered the DISCLOSE Act or any legislation of substance to deal with the secret money influencing our politics. The Voter Empowerment Act was introduced months ago. Yet absolutely nothing has been done to address the threat of millions of voters being disenfranchised this November. Most appalling, Mr.…”