Campaign Reform Momentum

On Feb. 26, the U.S. Senate voted 51 to 48 in support of an election campaign finance reform bill sponsored by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Russell Feingold (D-Wis.). But the bill was already dead, for this was not a vote on its merits but on a motion to end a filibuster led by Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.). The filibuster was intended to kill the measure by never allowing an up-or-down vote, and that is exactly what happened.

Some may wonder how a bill can die if a majority of the members of the Senate (in this case, including both California senators), voted to support it. That doesn’t seem right, but it’s legal because it takes a three-fifths vote of the Senate, 60 members, to end a filibuster.

The Founding Fathers designed the Senate to be the more deliberative body of Congress. The filibuster is one means of preventing hasty action driven by passions. The tactic is abused but also serves a purpose.

Campaign finance reform is anything but a hastily conceived idea. Congress has debated and rejected reform year after year in spite of strong public support in the polls. But this year, campaign reform just won’t die despite every effort by congressional leaders to kill it.

After months of guerrilla warfare, determined House reformers finally managed to pass a bill in the House in August, 252 to 179. Sixty-one Republicans broke ranks to support the bill. Now the action is back in the Senate.

Lott insists there is no time for another debate before the end of the session. But there will be time if McCain can use the momentum of the House victory to drum up the votes needed to break a filibuster. He should spare no effort, for this can be the year that Congress finally agrees on campaign finance reform. There is momentum, and it should be matched by political courage.