WASHINGTON - - Supporters of the McCain-Feingold "campaign reform"
bill are continuing to push for a vote on that measure in the U.S. House
of Representatives.
The McCain-Feingold bill has already been blocked in the Senate. (See March 11, 1997, NRL News, page
1.) But its backers believe that if they can force
the bill through the House, they can revive the issue in the Senate.
The House version of the bill is called the Shays-Meehan bill (HR 3526),
after its sponsors, Reps. Chris Shays (R-Ct.) and Marty Meehan (D-Mass.).
Like the Senate bill, it would severely restrict the right of citizen groups
such as NRLC and NRLC affiliates to communicate with the public regarding
the positions and voting records of federal politicians. (See "The
McCain-Feingold Bill's Year-Round Speech Bans," October 21, 1997, NRL
News, page 13.)
The great majority of Shays-Meehan supporters are Democrats. A small number
of Republicans have sponsored the measure, while others are undecided. The
bill is strongly opposed by the Republican majority.
Partly in an effort to fend off the Shays-Meehan bill, on March 30 the House
Republican leadership brought to the floor a bill proposed by pro-abortion
Congressman Bill Thomas (R-Ca.), which would have made numerous changes
in federal election laws. NRLC opposed the Thomas bill because it contained
several provisions that would have restricted the free speech rights of
NRLC and NRLC affiliates, although the bill's restrictions were less severe
than those contained in the Shays-Meehan bill.
The Thomas bill was also opposed by groups that demand more extreme restrictions
such as those contained in Shays-Meehan, including Common Cause and the
League of Women Voters. In addition, organized labor strongly opposed the
bill because of a provision requiring unions to get advance permission from
members before using their dues for "political activities."
Caught in this political crossfire, the Thomas bill was rejected overwhelmingly,
74-337. All of the votes in favor of the bill came from Republicans. (See "74 House Members Vote for Bill to Place Some Restrictions
on Free Speech about Politicians," page 9.)
The Thomas bill was considered under a special expedited procedure, called
"suspension of the rules," which did not allow backers of the
Shays-Meehan bill or other "campaign reform" bills to offer their
measures as substitute amendments. Angry that they were denied a vote on
their measures, lawmakers leading the drive for speech restrictions renewed
a long-stalled effort to get a majority of House members to sign a "discharge
petition" on the issue.
Under House rules, if a majority of House members (218, when there are no
vacancies) sign the petition, it will compel House floor action on several
bills to severely restrict free speech about those who hold or seek office.
The discharge petition was originally launched last October, with a strong
push from House Democratic leader Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.). However, the effort
stalled after obtaining 186 signatures. (See "186 House Members Sign
Petition to Advance Bills That Would Restrict Free Speech About Politicians,"
Nov. 18, 1997, NRL News, page 18.)
Technically, the main focus of the petition is a bill proposed by the leader
of the petition drive, pro-abortion Congressman Scotty Baesler (D-Ky.).
Under Baesler's bill, groups other than federal PACs (political action committees)
would be prohibited from disseminating any printed or broadcast communication
to the public, within 90 days of a primary or general election, that mentions
the name of a member of Congress or candidate for Congress. Moreover, even
a PAC would be prohibited from spending more than $25,000, during any two-year
period, on communications dealing with a specific House officeholder or
officeseeker.
Although Baesler's bill is the primary bill named in the discharge petition,
the petition also demands votes on several other "campaign reform"
bills as amendments to the Baesler bill, including the Shays-Meehan bill.
When Congress began its Easter recess on April 2, 194 House members had
signed the discharge petition, including all but 18 of the House's Democrats
and seven House Republicans.
Baesler, Rep. Charles Stenholm (D-Tx.), and other backers of the petition
vowed to push hard to get the additional 22 signatures they need after Congress
returns from its recess on April 21. Several special-interest groups that
support the Shays-Meehan bill said that they would try to drum up pressure
on about 50 targeted House members, mostly Republicans, over the recess.
On March 27, NRLC wrote to pro-life House members urging them not to sign
the petition, or to withdraw if they had already signed. Under House rules,
a lawmaker may withdraw his signature by written request at any time before
the petition reaches the 218-signature threshold.
A complete list of discharge petition signers appears on this page.
ACTION REQUEST
As of April 7, the following Democrats with pro-life
or mixed voting records had NOT signed the discharge petition (in order
by state): Hamilton (In.), Roemer (In.), Neal (Mass.), Moakley (Mass.),
Oberstar (Mn.), Taylor (Ms.), Traficant (Ohio), Klink (Pa.), Murtha (Pa.),
Ralph Hall (Tx.), Mollohan (WV), and Rahall (WV). Constituents of these
lawmakers should write to thank them for resisting pressure to sign the
petition, because the petition would advance measures that would greatly
harm the ability of NRLC and NRLC affiliates to communicate with the public
regarding the positions and voting records of those who hold or seek federal
office.
As of April 7, the following Democrats with pro-life or mixed voting records
had already signed the discharge petition (in order by state): Berry (Ar.),
Costello (Il.), Lipinski (Il.), Poshard (Il.), John (La.), Barcia (Mi.),
Bonior (Mi.), Kildee (Mi.), Stupak (Mi.), Peterson (Mn.), Danner (Mo.),
Skelton (Mo.), LaFalce (NY), Manton (NY), McNulty (NY), McIntyre (NC), Tony
Hall (Ohio), Kaptur (Ohio), Kucinich (Ohio), Borski (Pa.), Doyle (Pa.),
Holden (Pa.), Kanjorski (Pa.), Mascara (Pa.), Weygand (RI), Ortiz (Tx.),
Stenholm (Tx.), Goode (Va.), and Kleczka (Wi.). Constituents of these lawmakers
should write to express dismay that they are seeking to advance multiple
bills (including the Shays-Meehan/ McCain-Feingold bill) that would severely
restrict the right of NRLC and NRLC affiliates to communicate with the public,
and urge them to withdraw their names from the discharge petition.
Constituents of pro-life Republican House members - - especially those who
voted for the Thomas bill on March 30 (see list
on page 9) - - should urge these lawmakers not
to sign the discharge petition. Note: of the seven Republicans who had signed
the discharge petition as of April 7, all are pro-abortion.
The address for all House members is: The Honorable ____________, House
Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515. Please send a copy of any reply
received from a lawmaker to the NRLC Federal Legislative Office, 419 Seventh
Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C. 20004.
U.S. House Signers of "Discharge Petition" to Restrict
Free Speech about Politicians
As explained above, the following 194 House members
have signed a "discharge petition," an extraordinary procedural
device, in an attempt to advance several
"campaign reform" bills that would severely restrict the right
of NRLC and NRLC affiliates to communicate with the public regarding pro-life
legislation being considered in Congress, and regarding the positions and
voting records of specific politicians on right-to-life issues.
Republicans are designated by (R); all other signers are Democrats. Boldface
names are House members with pro-life or mixed voting records on abortion.
Alabama: Bud Cramer, Earl Hilliard
Arkansas: Marion Berry, Vic Snyder
California: Xavier Becerra, Howard Berman, George Brown, Tom Campbell
(R), Lois Capps, Gary Condit, Julia Dixon, Calvin Dooley, Anna Eshoo, Sam
Farr, Vic Fazio, Bob Filner, Jane Harman, Tom Lantos, Zoe Lofgren, Matthew
Martinez, Robert Matsui, Juanita Millender-McDonald, George Miller, Nancy
Pelosi, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Loretta Sanchez, Brad Sherman, Pete Stark,
Ellen Tauscher, Esteban Torres, Maxine Waters, Henry Waxman, Lynn Woolsey
Colorado: Diana
DeGette, David Skaggs
Connecticut: Rosa DeLauro, Sam Gejdenson, Nancy Johnson (R), Barbara
Kennelly, James Maloney, Chris Shays (R)
Delaware: Michael Castle (R)
Florida: Allen Boyd, Corrine Brown, Jim Davis, Peter Deutsch, Alcee
Hastings, Carrie Meek, Karen Thurman, Robert Wexler
Georgia: Sanford Bishop, John Lewis, Cynthia McKinney
Hawaii: Neil Abercrombie, Patsy Mink
Illinois: Rod Blagojevich, Jerry Costello, Danny Davis, Lane
Evans, Luis Gutierrez, Jesse Jackson, Jr., William Lipinski, Glenn Poshard,
Bobby Rush, Sidney Yates
Indiana: Julia Carson
Iowa: Leonard Boswell, Jim Leach (R)
Kentucky: Scotty Baesler
Louisiana: William Jefferson, Chris John
Maine: Tom Allen, John Baldacci
Maryland: Ben Cardin, Elijah Cummings, Steny Hoyer, Connie Morella
(R), Albert Wynn
Massachusetts: William Delahunt, Barney Frank, Joseph Kennedy, Edward
Markey, James McGovern, Marty Meehan, John Olver, John Tierney
Michigan: James Barcia, David Bonior, John Conyers, John Dingell,
Dale Kildee, Carolyn Kilpatrick, Sander Levin, Lynn Rivers, Debbie
Stabenow, Bart Stupak
Minnesota: Bill Luther, David Minge, Collin Peterson, Martin
Sabo, Bruce Vento
Missouri: Bill
Clay, Pat Danner, Dick Gephardt, Karen McCarthy, Ike Skelton
New Jersey: Robert Andrews, Robert Menendez, Frank Pallone, William
Pascrell, Donald Payne, Steven Rothman, Marge Roukema (R)
New York: Gary
Ackerman, Eliot Engel, Maurice Hinchey, John LaFalce, Nita Lowey,
Carolyn Maloney, Thomas Manton, Carolyn McCarthy, Michael McNulty,
Gregory Meeks, Jerrold Nadler, Major Owens, Charles Rangel, Charles Schumer,
Jose Serrano, Louise Slaughter, Edolphus Towns, Nydia Velazquez
North Carolina: Eva Clayton, Bob Etheridge, Bill Hefner, Mike
McIntyre, David Price, Melvin Watt
North Dakota: Earl Pomeroy
Ohio: Sherrod Brown, Tony Hall, Marcy Kaptur, Dennis Kucinich,
Thomas Sawyer, Louis Stokes, Ted Strickland
Oregon: Earl Blumenauer, Peter DeFazio, Elizabeth Furse, Darlene
Hooley
Pennsylvania: Robert Borski, William Coyne, Mike Doyle,
Chaka Fattah, Tim Holden, Paul Kanjorski, Frank Mascara, Paul McHale
Rhode Island: Patrick Kennedy, Robert Weygand
South Carolina: James Clyburn, John Spratt
Tennessee: Bob Clement, Harold Ford, Jr., Bart Gordon, John Tanner
Texas: Ken Bentsen, Lloyd Doggett, Chet Edwards, Martin Frost, Gene
Green, Ruben Hinojosa, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Nick Lampson, Sheila Jackson
Lee, Solomon Ortiz, Silvestre Reyes, Ciro Rodriguez, Max Sandlin,
Charles Stenholm, Jim Turner
Vermont: Bernard Sanders
Virginia: Virgil Goode, Jim Moran, Owen Pickett, Robert Scott, Norman
Sisisky
Washington: Norman Dicks, Jim McDermott, Adam Smith
West Virginia: Robert Wise
Wisconsin: Thomas Barrett, Jay Johnson, Ronald Kind, Jerry Kleczka