Bill to Restrict Free Speech About Politicians Blocked for
Third Time in U.S. Senate

WASHINGTON - - The McCain-Feingold "campaign reform" bill, which would place sweeping restrictions on free speech about politicians by groups such as NRLC and NRLC affiliates, was blocked in the Senate on September 10, 1998, on the roll call shown below.

The bill is strongly opposed by NRLC, the Christian Coalition, the Family Research Council, and many other organizations.

On two earlier occasions during the 1997-98 Congress, Senate approval of the McCain-Feingold bill was prevented by a filibuster led by pro-life Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). On each occasion, supporters of the bill were able to muster 52 votes to "invoke cloture" (end debate) on the bill - - eight votes short of the 60 votes required to end McConnell's filibuster. (See Oct. 21, 1997, NRL News, page 12, and March 11, 1998, NRL News, page 24.)

On August 6, 1998, the House of Representatives approved a similar bill, the Shays-Meehan bill, 252-179. (See August 12 NRL News, page 28.) Following that vote, special-interest groups promoting the legislation, such as Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, and the Campaign for America (bankrolled by millionaire investment banker Jerome Kohlberg), launched a national campaign to demand renewed Senate action on the issue.

In response, the prime sponsors of the bill, Sen. John McCain (R- Az.) and Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wi.), offered the measure as an amendment to an unrelated appropriations bill. Sen. McConnell again blocked the measure, and on the September 10 cloture vote shown below, the tally was again 52 senators in support of cloture (to advance the bill) and 48 senators in opposition. No senator changed his or her February position on the issue - - an outcome that for practical purposes killed the issue for this year.

All 45 Democratic senators voted to advance the bill. They were joined by seven Republicans: McCain, Fred Thompson (Tn.), Susan Collins (Me.), Olympia Snowe (Me.), Arlen Specter (Pa.), John Chafee (RI), and James Jeffords (Vt.). All other Republicans voted with Sen. McConnell against cloture.

Further information on the sweeping restrictions contained in the McCain- Feingold bill, and their implications for pro-life groups, is available at the NRLC website at www.nrlc.org/campaign.html.

KEY

X Voted to block bill that would restrict free speech about politicians

O Voted to advance bill that would restrict free speech about politicians

Alabama
Shelby R (R) X
Sessions J (R) X

Alaska
Stevens T (R) X
Murkowski F (R) X

Arizona
McCain J (R) O
Kyl J (R) X

Arkansas
Bumpers D (D) O
Hutchinson T (R) X

California
Feinstein D (D) O
Boxer B (D) O

Colorado
Campbell B (R) X
Allard W (R) X

Connecticut
Dodd C (D) O
Lieberman J (D) O

Delaware
Roth W (R) X
Biden J (D) O

Florida
Graham B (D) O
Mack C (R) X

Georgia
Coverdell P (R) X
Cleland M (D) O

Hawaii
Inouye D (D) O
Akaka D (D) O

Idaho
Craig L (R) X
Kempthorne D (R) X

Illinois
Moseley-Braun C (D) O
Durbin R (D) O

Indiana
Lugar R (R) X
Coats D (R) X

Iowa
Grassley C (R) X
Harkin T (D) O

Kansas
Brownback S (R) X
Roberts P (R) X

Kentucky
Ford W (D) O
McConnell M (R) X

Louisiana
Breaux J (D) O
Landrieu M (D) O

Maine
Snowe O (R) O
Collins S (R) O

Maryland
Sarbanes P (D) O
Mikulski B (D) O

Massachusetts
Kennedy E (D) O
Kerry J (D) O

Michigan
Levin C (D) O
Abraham S (R) X

Minnesota
Wellstone P (D) O
Grams R (R) X

Mississippi
Cochran T (R) X
Lott T (R) X

Missouri
Bond C (R) X
Ashcroft J (R) X

Montana
Baucus M (D) O
Burns C (R) X

Nebraska
Kerrey B (D) O
Hagel C (R) X

Nevada
Reid H (D) O
Bryan R (D) O

New Hampshire
Smith R (R) X
Gregg J (R) X

New Jersey
Lautenberg F (D) O
Torricelli R (D) O

New Mexico
Domenici P (R) X
Bingaman J (D) O

New York
Moynihan D (D) O
D'Amato A (R) X

North Carolina
Helms J (R) X
Faircloth L (R) X

North Dakota
Conrad K (D) O
Dorgan B (D) O

Ohio
Glenn J (D) O
DeWine M (R) X

Oklahoma
Nickles D (R) X
Inhofe J (R) X

Oregon
Wyden R (D) O
Smith G (R) X

Pennsylvania
Specter A (R) O
Santorum R (R) X

Rhode Island
Chafee J (R) O
Reed J (D) O

South Carolina
Thurmond S (R) X
Hollings E (D) O

South Dakota
Daschle T (D) O
Johnson T (D) O

Tennessee
Thompson F (R) O
Frist B (R) X

Texas
Gramm P (R) X
Hutchison K (R) X

Utah
Hatch O (R) X
Bennett R (R) X

Vermont
Leahy P (D) O
Jeffords J (R) O

Virginia
Warner J (R) X
Robb C (D) O

Washington
Gorton S (R) X
Murray P (D) O

West Virginia
Byrd R (D) O
Rockefeller J (D) O

Wisconsin
Kohl H (D) O
Feingold R (D) O

Wyoming
Thomas C (R) X
Enzi M (R) X