Campaign Reformers’ Milestone

By a vote of 237 to 186, the U.S. House voted for sweeping campaign finance reform late Monday despite extraordinary efforts by Republican leaders to kill the measure. A determined coalition of Democrats and reform-minded Republicans held together to approve a bill sponsored by Reps. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) and Martin T. Meehan (D-Mass.). Not since the Watergate era has either house of Congress voted in favor of such a far-reaching campaign finance reform measure.

But Shays-Meehan has another hurdle or two before it officially wins House passage. In the next several days, the House must consider as many as seven alternative proposals. The bill with the most votes wins. So the coalition must hold firm until Shays-Meehan, the only true reform measure, prevails.

Shays-Meehan would ban the use of unrestricted “soft money” contributions and plug other loopholes that have developed in the post-Watergate campaign finance law.

Shays and Meehan cited a number of California House members for their leadership in the reform effort: Democrats Sam Farr of Carmel, George Miller of Martinez, Xavier Becerra of Los Angeles, Calvin M. Dooley of Visalia and Republicans Tom Campbell of San Jose and Brian P. Bilbray of San Diego.

Campbell and Bilbray deserve special commendation for their willingness to defy their own party leaders on this issue. Although prospects for the legislation in the Senate are dim at this moment, the House members have just achieved what all the political pundits said could not be done. The effort should not stop now.