WASHINGTON (March 9) - - Shown below are three call roll votes conducted
in the U.S. Senate on February 24-25, 1998, on proposals to place sweeping
restrictions on free speech about politicians.
These bills - - known as the McCain-Feingold bill and the Snowe-Jeffords
amendment - - are strongly opposed by NRLC, because they contain numerous
provisions that would restrict the right of citizen groups, such as NRLC
and NRLC affiliates, to communicate with the public regarding the positions
and voting records of specific Members of Congress or candi-dates for Congress.
These proposals are also opposed by many other organizations, including
the Christian Coalition and the American Civil Liberties Union, because
of their multiple speech-restriction provisions.
On each of these February votes, advocates of the speech-restrictive "campaign
reform" bills narrowly defeated attempts to table (kill) the speech-restrictive
mea-sures. However, the bills died anyway, because supporters did not have
the 60-vote supermajority required under Senate rules to "invoke cloture"
- - that is, to end debate on the issue and pass the bill.
On February 24, pro-life Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) moved to table
(kill) the entire McCain-Feingold bill (official Senate roll call no. 12).
NRLC supported this motion, which failed, 48-51. (See the first column,
furthest left on the chart on this page.)
The Senate then considered an amendment offered by Senators Olympia Snowe
(R-Maine) and James Jeffords (R-Vt.) to remove one section of the McCain-Feingold
bill, containing certain restrictions on free speech about politicians,
and replace it with new language that would have also substantially restricted
the right of citizen groups such as NRLC to mention the names of Members
of Congress and other federal politicians, in broadcast communications to
the public, for at least three months during any election year. On February
25, Senator McConnell moved to table (kill) the Snowe-Jeffords amendment,
a motion supported by NRLC, but the motion failed, 47-50. (This vote, Senate
roll call no. 14, is shown in the middle column on the chart.) The Snowe-Jeffords
amendment was then adopted on a voice vote.
Senator McConnell then again moved to table (kill) the entire McCain-Feingold
bill (as amended). This motion, supported by NRLC, failed, 48-50 (Senate
roll call no. 15, shown in the third column on the chart).
Although a majority of senators voted to advance the McCain-Feingold bill
on these three votes, on a subsequent roll call, only 51 senators voted
to "invoke cloture" (end debate) on the bill - - 9 votes short
of the 60 votes required. Therefore, the bill died.
On all of these roll calls, every Demo-cratic senator voted to advance the
McCain-Feingold bill. On every vote, they were joined by seven Republicans
who supported the bill: chief sponsor John McCain (Az.), Fred Thompson (Tn.),
Susan Collins (Me.), Olympia Snowe (Me.), Arlen Specter (Pa.), John Chafee
(RI), and James Jeffords (Vt.). In addition, they were joined by Sen. William
Roth (D-De.) only on the vote on the Snowe-Jeffords amendment.
For further details on the Senate debate on "campaign reform,"
and the upcoming debate on similar legislation in the House of Representatives,
please see the story that begins on page 1 of
this issue and the "Action
Alert" that appears on the back cover.
KEY
X Voted to kill bill that would
restrict free speech about politicians
O Voted to advance bill that would
restrict free speech about politicians
? Absent or not voting
1 2 3
Alabama
Shelby R (R) X X X
Sessions J (R) X X X
Alaska
Stevens T (R) X X X
Murkowski F (R) X X X
Arizona
McCain J (R) O O O
Kyl J (R) X X X
Arkansas
Bumpers D (D) O O O
Hutchinson T (R) X X X
California
Feinstein D (D) O ? O
Boxer B (D) O O O
Colorado
Campbell B (R) X X X
Allard W (R) X X X
Connecticut
Dodd C (D) O O O
Lieberman J (D) O O O
Delaware
Roth W (R) X O X
Biden J (D) O O O
Florida
Graham B (D) O O O
Mack C (R) X X X
Georgia
Coverdell P (R) X X X
Cleland M (D) O O O
Hawaii
Inouye D (D) O O ?
Akaka D (D) O O O
Idaho
Craig L (R) X X X
Kempthorne D (R) X X X
Illinois
Moseley-Braun C (D) O O O
Durbin R (D) O O O
Indiana
Lugar R (R) X X X
Coats D (R) X X X
Iowa
Grassley C (R) X X X
Harkin T (D) ? ? ?
Kansas
Brownback S (R) X X X
Roberts P (R) X X X
Kentucky
Ford W (D) O O O
McConnell M (R) X X X
Louisiana
Breaux J (D) O O O
Landrieu M (D) O O O
Maine
Snowe O (R) O O O
Collins S (R) O O O
Maryland
Sarbanes P (D) O O O
Mikulski B (D) O O O
Massachusetts
Kennedy E (D) O ? O
Kerry J (D) O O O
Michigan
Levin C (D) O O O
Abraham S (R) X X X
Minnesota
Wellstone P (D) O O O
Grams R (R) X X X
Mississippi
Cochran T (R) X X X
Lott T (R) X X X
Missouri
Bond C (R) X X X
Ashcroft J (R) X X X
Montana
Baucus M (D) O O O
Burns C (R) X X X
Nebraska
Kerrey B (D) O O O
Hagel C (R) X X X
Nevada
Reid H (D) O O O
Bryan R (D) O O O
New Hampshire
Smith R (R) X X X
Gregg J (R) X X X
New Jersey
Lautenberg F (D) O O O
Torricelli R (D) O O O
New Mexico
Domenici P (R) X X X
Bingaman J (D) O O O
New York
Moynihan D (D) O O O
D'Amato A (R) X X X
North Carolina
Helms J (R) X X X
Faircloth L (R) X X X
North Dakota
Conrad K (D) O O O
Dorgan B (D) O O O
Ohio
Glenn J (D) O O O
DeWine M (R) X X X
Oklahoma
Nickles D (R) X X X
Inhofe J (R) X X X
Oregon
Wyden R (D) O O O
Smith G (R) X X X
Pennsylvania
Specter A (R) O O O
Santorum R (R) X X X
Rhode Island
Chafee J (R) O O O
Reed J (D) O O O
South Carolina
Thurmond S (R) X X X
Hollings E (D) O O O
South Dakota
Daschle T (D) O O O
Johnson T (D) O O O
Tennessee
Thompson F (R) O O O
Frist B (R) X X X
Texas
Gramm P (R) X X X
Hutchison K (R) X X X
Utah
Hatch O (R) X X X
Bennett R (R) X X X
Vermont
Leahy P (D) O O O
Jeffords J (R) O O O
Virginia
Warner J (R) X X X
Robb C (D) O O O
Washington
Gorton S (R) X X X
Murray P (D) O O O
West Virginia
Byrd R (D) O O O
Rockefeller J (D) O O O
Wisconsin
Kohl H (D) O O O
Feingold R (D) O O O
Wyoming
Thomas C (R) X X X
Enzi M (R) X X X