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Statement of Frank Clemente, Director of Public Citizen?s Congress Watch, upon House Passage of the Shays-Meehan Campaign Finance Reform Bill

August 6, 1998

Statement of Frank Clemente, Director of Public Citizen?s Congress Watch, upon House Passage of the Shays-Meehan Campaign Finance Reform Bill

Like Lazarus, the Shays-Meehan reform bill has risen from the dead. Nearly all the political pundits doubted genuine reform could pass this year in Newt Gingrich?s House. Today, by a convincing bipartisan majority, the House finally heeded the people?s call to curb the influence of big money on public policy.

Spouting a huge head of steam, the locomotive of reform is bearing down on the Senate. A bipartisan majority of 52 Senators have already endorsed the companion McCain-Feingold measure. It?s time for the remaining Senators to get off the tracks and onto the train.

In the coming weeks, Public Citizen will go all-out to mobilize consumer, environmental, senior citizen and other groups, as well as our 140,000 members, to achieve Senate passage of the Shays-Meehan-McCain-Feingold bill.

The American people have arrived at a historic crossroads.The Senate now has the opportunity to help end the reign of wealthy special interests over our democracy. From New York to North Carolina, from Colorado to Kansas, every candidate in the 34 Senate races this November will be held accountable by their constituents for their votes and positions on campaign finance reform.

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