Political Quotes

“I want to take a moment to inform the Senate that today the U.S. Supreme Court, in the case of Nixon v. Shrink Missouri Government PAC, upheld contribution limits in the campaign finance system of the United States. This was a victory for our democracy. It was a victory for the voters because, essentially, what the Court said is that elections in the United States are about votes, not about money. They affirmed the core holding of Buckley v. Valeo that reasonable contribution limits in Federal campaigns--and today, by extension, in State elections--are constitutionally permissible. I was very pleased with this decision. Several months ago, I organized an amicus curiae brief, which was submitted to the Supreme Court in this case, and advocated the position the Court adopted today--that contribution limits are, in fact, permissible under the Constitution of the United States. Again, this is a victory for those who would like to see elections be contests of ideas rather than clashes of special interests, amplified by huge amounts of money. Today is a victory for voters who, by their decreasing numbers, show their disenchantment with the political system. They feel the system is not about ideas or candidates' positions, but really about the candidates' treasure chests. This feeling is a corrosive force that undermines democracy in this country. Well, today, the Supreme Court held the line and declared that we can impose reasonable limits on campaign contributions.”