Newport-Mesa congressmen vote against reform bill
Deirdre Newman
NEWPORT-MESA -- The campaign finance reform legislation passed by the
House of Representatives on Thursday is blatantly unfair to the
Republican Party, one of Newport-Mesa’s congressmen said.
“It’s going after areas that have been most helpful to Republicans,”
said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, who represents Costa Mesa.
Rohrabacher voted against the Shays-Meehan bill, which would ban
so-called soft money, as did Rep. Chris Cox, whose district includes
Newport Beach. Cox was unavailable for comment.
Soft money consists of contributions made outside the federal limits,
including large individual or political action committee contributions
and direct corporate or union contributions. This type of money is often
used for political campaign ads to circumvent the current limits.
If President Bush gives the bill his seal of approval, it will
monumentally change the landscape of political fund-raising, established
in the post-Watergate reforms of the 1970s.
While the bill was co-sponsored by a Republican and supported by 41
House Republicans, Rohrabacher called the legislation a fraud.
“It was designed in order to give the liberal establishment and labor
unions leverage so they can win future elections,” Rohrabacher said.
In addition to preventing national political parties from raising soft
money, the bill would also increase the size of contributions that can be
given directly to candidates for federal office and impose new
regulations on broadcast advertising by interest groups that target
candidates in the days before a general or primary election.
The legislation parallels a similar bill the Senate passed in April,
reversing the usual order of campaign finance reform efforts. In the
past, reform legislation was approved by the House but thwarted by
Republicans in the Senate.
Both parties have benefited from soft money in the past -- last year,
the Republicans raised $97.4 million, and the Democrats scored $62.7
million. But Rohrabacher said the new legislation favors the Democratic
Party.
“Reform is when you set down fair guidelines that will increase the
competitiveness of both parties, instead of attacking mainly one side,”
he said.
Rohrabacher voted for both of the two failed Republican alternatives
that the party offered, which contained tighter limits on political
donations. Critics charged these options were merely designed to splinter
the reform coalition.
The congressman, who said he has never accepted any soft money, added
that he isn’t concerned that his vote against the popular measure will
hurt his chances for reelection in November.
“Our voters will decide if they support me or not based on what I want
the government to do or not to do,” Rohrabachersaid.
* Deirdre Newman covers education. She may be reached at (949)
574-4221 or by e-mail at o7 deirdre.newman@latimes.comf7 .
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