House OKs Campaign Finance Reforms : Congress: The measure would provide voluntary spending curbs, cut PAC donations. Republicans complain the Democratic bill doesn’t go far enough.

The House late Friday approved a Democratic-sponsored move to reform campaign finance laws by providing voluntary spending limits for congressional candidates and restricting contributions by political action committees.

The measure was adopted by a vote of 255 to 155. The vote was sharply divided along party lines.

Although not as far-reaching as a Senate reform bill approved earlier this week, the House measure still would be the most comprehensive overhaul of campaign finance laws since the Watergate era. Its passage was driven by public concern over mounting campaign costs financed largely by special interest groups.

The House and Senate bills now must be reconciled by a joint conference committee, which will meet in September after a monthlong congressional recess. Prospects are doubtful that the measures will wind up as law because White House officials have said that President Bush opposes any voluntary spending limits on congressional candidates.

Republican opponents of the House legislation protested that the reforms did not go far enough. They charged that keeping the PAC system intact, albeit with new limits, would protect many Democratic incumbents.

Other opponents in both parties, including House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dan Rostenkowski (D-Ill.), complained that the reform proposal was being “rammed down the throats” of House members by the Democratic leadership on the eve of the August recess without the benefit of committee hearings.

The measure, which was brought directly to the House floor by a Democratic leadership task force, would limit each House candidate to $275,000 in PAC contributions per election.

In addition, it would set voluntary overall spending limits of $550,000 per House candidate and, as incentives, would offer lower congressional broadcasting and mailing costs for those who agree to the limits.

The legislation would allow in-state donors who contribute up to $50 to claim a 100% tax credit when giving to a candidate who has adopted spending limits.

The Democratic package fell short of campaign reforms that have been urged by outside “citizen lobbies” such as Common Cause and Public Citizen. But proponents called it “a first step” that would retard the escalating costs of congressional campaigns, help curb the growing influence of special interest lobbies and place more reliance on a member’s constituents for political donations.

“Our present system of election finance is out of control,” said Rep. J. J. Pickle (D-Tex.). “This will help restore the power of the individual voter, who is at the heart of any election.”

Rep. Jack Buechner (R-Mo.), who opposed the measure on grounds that it did not go far enough, said in a floor speech that Midwest congressional contributions often come from trade associations or special interest groups in Washington or wealthy donors in Beverly Hills, Calif.

“That’s what’s getting people mad,” he said. “Let’s keep it at home instead of from those fat cats from all over.”

The more sweeping Senate bill would ban PACs from making any contributions in federal elections, while also using taxpayer funds as an incentive to encourage candidates to comply with new voluntary spending curbs.

Before approving the House measure, lawmakers beat down a Republican-sponsored substitute bill offered by Minority Leader Robert H. Michel (R-Ill.) by a vote of 241 to 169, largely along party lines. The Michel proposal provided that at least half of all contributions to a House candidate must come from within the congressional district.

In urging passage of the Republican substitute, Michel complained that the Democratic measure being rushed to a vote by House Speaker Thomas S. Foley (D-Wash.) represented “a lousy process” because it avoided the House committee system.

Rep. Bill Thomas (R-Bakersfield), in supporting the Republican proposal, told his colleagues: “It’s not that we raise too much money. It’s that we don’t raise the money at home.”

After rejecting the Michel bill, the lawmakers defeated a Democratic-sponsored proposal that would have further reduced PAC contributions to $220,000 per House candidate. The measure, offered by reform-minded Reps. Mike Synar (D-Okla.) and David R. Obey (D-Wis.), would have provided public financing for congressional campaigns, offering up to $100,000 per candidate in federal funds to match individual in-state contributions of less than $50.

This amendment was defeated by a vote of 128 to 122, with 158 members voting “present” in an unusual display of protest by 145 Republicans and 13 Democrats.