Ron Kind: “I am a proud member of the freshman bipartisan task force on finance reform. If we are truly interested in passing…”

“I am a proud member of the freshman bipartisan task force on finance reform. If we are truly interested in passing finance reform that is going to pass and withstand constitutional challenges, the freshman bill is the bill to support. But the opponents of reform would have us believe that large money contributions are essential to freedom, liberty and free speech in this country. I do not know any rational person who believes the ability of a wealthy individual or organization to contribute hundreds of thousands of dollars, just as my friend the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Snyder) so aptly demonstrated, is essential to freedom and liberty in this country. But that is exactly what is going on right now, and it is perfectly legal. The freshman bill prohibits soft money contributions, and it will limit the corruption and the appearance of corruption resulting from those large contributions. We can prohibit the soft money contributions under current constitutional case law. So our soft money ban withstands any constitutional challenge, and, yes, it does uphold liberty and free speech in this country. I urge my colleagues, if they are interested in true finance reform that upholds the tenets of our Constitution in this country, to support the freshman bill.”