PACs Donate to Tax-Writing Lawmakers : Contributions Tripled for Those Working on Reform, Study Says

Members of congressional committees considering tax reform legislation raised $10,399,898 for their political campaign chests during the first six months of this year, according to a study released today by Common Cause.

The citizens’ lobby said the figure is nearly three times higher than the total receipts reported by the 56 Senate and House committee members for the same period in 1983.

The Common Cause study also found that these congressional tax-writing committee members received $3,736,054 in contributions from political action committees (PACs), more than triple the $1,167,988 they received from PAC funds in 1983.

“Special interest groups intent on preserving their tax breaks are providing a sea of PAC dollars to the congressional tax writers,” Common Cause President Fred Wertheimer said.

Candidates’ Reports

The study, part of a Common Cause campaign finance monitoring project, is based on reports filed by political candidates with the Federal Election Commission.

The figures showed the top recipient of PAC funds for the first six months this year to be the Senate Finance Committee chairman, Bob Packwood (R-Ore.), who reported a total of $691,015. Following him are other Finance Committee members including Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) with $474,550, Steven D. Symms (R-Ida.) with $290,872, Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) with $253,048, and Lloyd Bentsen (D-Tex.) with $107,075.

These PAC funds represented 29% of the overall receipts reported by Senate Finance Committee members for the first six months of 1985, compared to PAC contributions aggregating 24% of the total for the same period in 1983.

Common Cause also noted that all of these senators except for Bentsen face reelection next year.

For the House Ways and Means Committee, the study found that PAC funds represented 50% of the overall campaign receipts for committee members during the first six months of the year. In 1983, these receipts represented 44% of total contributions.

The report said committee Chairman Dan Rostenkowski (D-Ill.) raised $21,447 for his campaign war chest during the first six months of the year, including $2,000 in PAC contributions from special interest groups. And at the same time, it said, the Chicago Campaign Committee, a PAC headed by Rostenkowski that raises funds for House Democrats, received contributions totaling $108,816, of which $83,500 came from PACs.

The top recipient of PAC funds on Ways and Means, according to the report, was Rep. Sam Gibbons (D-Fla.), who also chairs its subcommittee on trade. He received $156,745 for the first six months of the year, compared to $750 in 1983. Gibbons also serves on the Joint Committee on Taxation.

Californians Listed

Among Ways and Means Committee members receiving substantial PAC contributions this year were two Californians, Fortney H. (Pete) Stark Jr. (D-Oakland), with $94,872, and Robert T. Matsui (D-Sacramento), with $74,250. The committee’s other top PAC beneficiaries this year were also Democrats. They include Reps. W. Henson Moore (R-La.) with $127,750, Beryl Anthony Jr. (D-Ark.), with $77,900, Wyche Fowler Jr. (D-Ga.) with $76,800, Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) with $74,150, and Barbara B. Kennelly (D-Conn.) with $64,225.

Four committee members, however, including William M. Thomas (R-Bakersfield), reported lower PAC receipts this year than in 1983.

Common Cause also noted that Senate Finance Committee member David L. Boren (D-Okla.) and House Ways and Means Committee members Bill Archer (D-Tex.), Philip M. Crane (R-Ill.), Bill Gradison (R-Ohio) and Andrew Jacobs Jr. (D-Ind.) do not accept any PAC contributions.