Russ Feingold: “I rise to talk about an effort under way in this Congress to hamstring the agency charged with enforcing the Federal…”

“I rise to talk about an effort under way in this Congress to hamstring the agency charged with enforcing the Federal election laws--the Federal Election Commission. This effort is happening very quietly under the guise of routine agency appropriations, but it has deadly serious consequences in terms of the independence of the Federal Election Commission. I think it is important to call the Senate's attention to it and give notice that I intend to do everything in my power to make sure it doesn't happen. Here is what is happening. The Appropriations Committee of the other body has included a provision in the funding bill for the FEC that would result in the firing of the Commission's general counsel and staff director. That's right, Madam President. The Congress is now going to get involved in the personnel decisions of the FEC, the agency that we have charged with overseeing us and the way we conduct our reelection campaigns. Some in the Congress want to fire two career civil servants who are simply trying to do their job to make campaign information available to the public and enforce the election laws. Lawrence Noble, the General Counsel, has served the agency since 1987. John Surina, the Staff Director, has been in that position since 1983. These are not political appointees. They were put in their jobs by a bipartisan majority vote of the Commission, as required by law.…”