Marcy Kaptur: “Campaign fundraising and spending is way out of control. We need a constitutional amendment to fix it. The American…”

“Campaign fundraising and spending is way out of control. We need a constitutional amendment to fix it. The American people have to help this Congress, because it will not do it by itself. Many years ago, Will Rogers, whose statue sits just outside the doors to this Chamber, joked, ``We have the best Congress money can buy.'' Unfortunately, that joke has not grown old. After witnessing this past election cycle, the campaign money expended to elect this Congress, both Chambers, is way out of bounds. The Center for Responsive Politics estimates that a record-breaking $4 billion was spent in the 2010 midterm elections. Now, $4 billion equals 4,000 millions. So 4,000 millions was spent to elect the current sitting Congress. The number of Members being elected didn't change. The amount of money being raised changed. It skyrocketed. The opportunity for people of ordinary means with great talent to gain election to office in our country is disappearing election after election. It's very hard for talented people of ordinary means to raise 4,000 millions. To put that number in perspective, 4 billion, or 4,000 millions, divides up to about $8.5 million spent on each of the 435 seats in this Chamber and those who are up for election in the other; $8,500,000 having to be raised every 2 years. Yes, an average of $8.5 million per Member was expended in each of the races. That is 50 times more than the amount of money the job pays.”