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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsOmnibus Bill Allows Wealthy Donors To Give Even More to Political Parties
WASHINGTON -- Congressional budget negotiators from both parties have included a provision in the bill to continue funding the government into next year that dramatically changes campaign finance law to allow lawmakers to solicit even bigger contributions from the wealthiest donors.
The omnibus bill includes a provision (on page 1,599) to create three separate funds within the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee. Each fund would be allowed to accept $97,200 from just one donor per year. If this change becomes law, it would mean that a single donor could give up to $324,000 per year, or $648,000 for a two-year election cycle, to finance the partys operations.
The change would effectively obliterate campaign contribution limits to the parties, while eviscerating the limits placed by the 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform law on how much a political candidate can seek from a donor. The current maximum a donor can give to a national party committee is $32,400 per year, plus an additional $32,400 per year to a separate fund to be used only in case of an election recount.
It just wipes out McCain-Feingold, said Fred Wertheimer, executive director of the reform group Democracy 21 and key architect of the McCain-Feingold law."The last thing the American people want is for Congress to give big donors even more influence in politics, but that's exactly what this provision will do, Nick Nyhart, president of the reform group Public Campaign, said in a statement. The biggest donors will be able to buy more access and influence and everyone else back home will continue wondering who their elected officials are working for."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/10/cromnibus-campaign-finance_n_6298984.html?utm_hp_ref=politics
djean111
(14,255 posts)Most politicians, IMO, are now addicted to the big corporate money.
Bandit
(21,475 posts)If that was the last things the American people wanted they would not have voted in the Republicans..That is EXACTLY what the American people want...
liberal_at_heart
(12,081 posts)receiving campaign money from big donors. It is not just the Republicans. The Democrats are just as guilty.
octoberlib
(14,971 posts)Both parties are complicit. Who are people supposed to vote for? Doesn't leave us much choice.