Russ Feingold: “What I would like to do just briefly is indicate what we do have in the bill, and then the Senator from Arizona, I…”

“What I would like to do just briefly is indicate what we do have in the bill, and then the Senator from Arizona, I think, will more plainly explain the basic structure of the bill. A concern was raised in the past about these voter guides that people want to be able to send out. The concern was heard. The Senator from Arizona and I specifically included a provision in this bill which reads as follows: The term "expressed advocacy" does not include the publication and distribution of a communication that is limited to providing information about votes by elected officials on legislative matters and that does not expressly advocate the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate. We heard the concern. It has been taken care of. This is another red herring. Second, speaker after speaker in the opposition today has said that there are mandatory spending limits on this bill, that it is a return to the legislation in the early 1970's. That is just false. We read Buckley versus Valeo. We understand there is a concern in that decision, and that is why we have a voluntary structure.”