Lott Delays Campaign Bill, Angering McCain

So you thought the Senate had approved a landmark campaign finance bill and sent it to the House of Representatives?

Think again.

Even though the Senate voted, 59 to 41, on April 2 to approve a reform plan sponsored by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Russell D. Feingold (D-Wis.), the actual bill still has not been sent to the other side of the Capitol.

The delay is on the orders of Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.), an opponent of the legislation, which would ban “soft money,” the unlimited donations to political parties.

Outraged at Lott’s tactics, McCain forced the issue back onto the Senate floor Tuesday. The Senate, on a 61-36 vote, approved a McCain proposal to call on Lott to end the delay. “What we are seeing here is a minority of one stopping the will of this body,” McCain said. “There is no good rationale for this arbitrary action.”

The language of the resolution approved by the Senate on Tuesday, as an amendment to an education bill, is nonbinding. But a Lott spokesman said after the vote that the majority leader would comply, though it was not clear when.

The House is in the early stages of considering its own version of a reform bill. But reform backers are worried about procedural hurdles that could kill their effort if the House passes a different bill. Some are trying to build House support for simply passing the Senate measure.

McCain, whose crusade for the soft-money ban has angered many of his party leaders, told reporters he believes Lott’s action was meant to block that option.

Other Senate-passed bills, McCain said, have been sent to the House this year after an average of 5.18 days. The clock on McCain-Feingold is now 43 days and running.

But Lott, who voted against the measure, initially was unrepentant. He noted in a prepared statement that the House was preparing to take up its version of campaign finance legislation “around the Fourth of July.”

“The House should be permitted to work its will on this issue,” he said.

Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) took advantage of the opportunity to zing Lott: “If I were majority leader, I would walk [McCain-Feingold] personally over to the House of Representatives and I would invite any of my colleagues to come with me.”