The Honorable Mike Pence
United States House of Representatives
426 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative Pence:
On behalf of the 350,000 members of the National Taxpayers Union (NTU), I write to offer our support for H.R. 1316, the "527 Fairness Act." Although NTU remains opposed to the so-called campaign finance reform that passed in 2001 and led to the proliferation of "527s" in the first place, we understand that the momentum in Congress is toward further repression of free speech in political campaigns rather than reduced repression. For this reason, we enthusiastically support your legislation.
The important features of the "527 Fairness Act" are that it would remove the aggregate limits on contributions to federal committees and parties; remove the spending limits now imposed on national political parties; allow grassroots organizations to receive and spend contributions from individuals for issue advocacy -- even within the 30/60-day pre-election windows; index PAC contribution and expenditure limits for inflation; repeal the "prior approval" requirements for PAC solicitations by trade associations; and, allow state and, local parties to spend non-federal dollars for voter registration and sample ballots.
Each of the steps outlined above easily qualifies as "common-sense" reform of a law that is deeply flawed. Among the draconian provisions contained in the McCain-Feingold bill that NTU opposes are the current prohibitions on grassroots organizations spending and receiving contributions for issue advocacy within the 30/60-day pre-election window. This restriction is a troubling attack on free speech that has already had a significant, negative impact on political discourse in the United States.
Another indicator of the harrowing impact of "campaign finance reform" on political discourse is the fact that soon Internet bloggers and news organizations could be penalized under federal law if they improperly link to a campaign's web site. According to Bradley Smith, one of six members of the Federal Election Commission, even the simple act of forwarding a political candidate's press release to a mailing list, depending on the details, could be punished under current law.
Political persuasions aside, it is essential for the survival of American-style democracy to survive that our laws allow for an open and fair discussion of ideas. Campaign finance laws -- so far as they exist at all -- should maximize disclosure and transparency while leaving political speech unimpeded. NTU and its members look forward to working with you on this important legislative effort.
Sincerely,
Paul J. Gessing
Director of Government Affairs