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[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 236 Introduced in House (IH)]

105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 236

 To express the sense of the House of Representatives on consideration 
               of comprehensive campaign finance reform.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 18, 1997

  Ms. Kaptur (for herself, Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Mr. Allen, Mr. 
   Pascrell, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Miller of California, Ms. DeLauro, Ms. 
 Eshoo, Mr. Farr of California, Mrs. Mink of Hawaii, Ms. Woolsey, and 
Mrs. Maloney of New York) submitted the following resolution; which was 
              referred to the Committee on House Oversight

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 To express the sense of the House of Representatives on consideration 
               of comprehensive campaign finance reform.

Whereas spending on Federal election campaigns has increased to an estimated 
        $2,650,000,000 in the most recent election cycle, a threefold increase 
        over campaign spending just 20 years ago, even after adjusting for 
        inflation;
Whereas, in the 1995-1996 election cycle, the Democratic Party committees raised 
        $332,000,000, a 73 percent increase over the $192,000,000 raised 4 years 
        earlier, and the Republican Party committees raised $549,000,000, a 74 
        percent increase over the $316,000,000 raised 4 years earlier;
Whereas overall campaign spending for congressional races has risen from 
        $99,000,000 in 1976 to $626,000,000 in 1996, a more than sixfold 
        increase;
Whereas since 1992, when political parties were first required to report soft 
        money contributions to the Federal Election Commission, these 
        contributions, which are raised outside Federal election law, have 
        tripled, from $86,000,000 in 1992 to over $263,000,000 in the last 
        election cycle;
Whereas there has been a proliferation of negative ``issue'' ads paid for by 
        political parties and interest groups to influence Federal elections, 
        further increasing the cost of campaigns;
Whereas as political campaigns have become longer, costlier, and more negative, 
        voter apathy has increased and voter participation in Presidential 
        elections has declined from 60 percent in 1948-1968, to 53 percent from 
        1972 to 1992, to an all-time low of 49 percent in 1996;
Whereas these trends will continue if Congress fails to enact comprehensive 
        campaign finance reform;
Whereas President Clinton and Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, on June 11, 
        1995, in Claremont, New Hampshire, expressed their support for the 
        creation of an independent commission to write binding campaign finance 
        reform legislation, but no commission was ever established; and
Whereas President Clinton, during his State of the Union address on February 4, 
        1997, implored Congress to act on campaign finance reform and pass 
        legislation by July 4, 1997, the 221st anniversary of the birth of our 
        democracy, but Congress failed to meet his goal: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the House of Representatives should proceed to the consideration of 
comprehensive campaign finance reform that reduces spending on 
political campaigns and curtails the influence of special interest 
money in Federal elections by no later than October 9, 1997, and adopt 
as a goal the final enactment of such legislation by no later than 
October 31, 1997.
                                 <all>
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