Campaign Reform: Last Chance

It’s now or never for campaign finance reform. Never, that is, as far as the 105th Congress is concerned. Buoyed by House passage of a reform bill in August, Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Russell Feingold (D-Wis.) are pursuing one more attempt to pass their own measure, as early as Thursday.

Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) opposes reform but has agreed to a final vote on the measure. McCain and Feingold got the support of 50 other senators the last time the bill came up. Thus a majority of the Senate favored the legislation, but that was still eight shy of the 60 needed to end a GOP-led filibuster.

The sponsors face the same 60-vote hurdle this time. There have been no signs of vote switches yet, but the impressive support for the House version of campaign finance reform demands reconsideration by senators who may not philosophically oppose McCain-Feingold but felt compelled to vote against the motion to end debate. The House bill passed 252 to 179 over the opposition of Republican leaders. Clearly the public wants reform legislation this year.

A major feature of McCain-Feingold is a ban on unregulated and unlimited contributions to the national political parties by corporations, unions and individuals. It also restricts independent-issues advertising so it could not be used to support or oppose individual candidates. These two types of contributions were at the heart of the 1996 campaign fund-raising scandal.

Back in January, no one would have predicted that campaign finance reform would still be alive in September. It is an issue that won’t die, that must not be allowed to die. The Senate now has one last chance to do the right thing--an aye vote on McCain-Feingold.