On November 21, 2003, Rep. John Tierney (D-MA) introduced a comprehensive campaign finance reform bill in Congress. H.R. 3641 would create a federal “Clean Money, Clean Elections” system of public financing.
Full public financing is the only way to tame the overwhelming influence that big money special interests have now. Just look at the Medicare prescription drug bill passed by Congress -- the main proponents, including President Bush -- have received a ton of money from health insurance companies and the pharmaceutical industry. The two special interests who stands to make a mint from the bill, with giveaways to insurers and no limits on drug industry price gouging.
Coincidence? We don't think so!
The federal bill is modeled after successful state laws in Arizona, Maine, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Vermont. There are 29 sponsors in the House of Representatives already, three of them from New York State: Congressmembers Maurice Hinchey, Michael McNulty and Jerrold Nadler.
Public Campaign is the national organization dedicated passing sweeping campaign finance reform on the federal level. Public Campaign supports state organizations in their local efforts and is re-launching their federal campaign for Clean Money, Clean Elections. Because of the most recent set of campaign finance and lobbying scandals in Washington, Public Campaign is gearing up to introduce a CMCE bill in the US Senate sometime in 2006. Click here to find out more and to make sure YOUR Congressional Representative and Senators Clinton and Schumer sign onto the federal Clean Money, Clean Elections legislation.
Public Campaign and Citizen Action of New York are working this fall to sign New York State Congressional candidates onto the Voters First Pledge. Click here to read the letter that was sent to all the candidates for Congress across the country and here in New York.
Visit Public Campaign’s Press Room to get the most up to date dish on Washington’s campaign finance scandals and Clean Money, Clean Elections news from around the nation.
