Politics Section Special Reports

From The Post Reno 'Mad' About Delay in Obtaining Videotapes (Oct. 10) Daschle's Mount Rushmore Trip Shows Fund-Raising's New Face (Oct. 10) On Tape, Reagan Appeals to Donors At White House (Oct. 10) DNC Ex-Aide Denies Teamster Link (Oct. 10) 'False Statements' Attributed To Straw Donor by Waxman (Oct. 10) 'Bob of the CIA' Told a Story, Then Became One (Oct. 10) Campaign Finance Bill Blocked Again By Helen Dewar Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, October 10, 1997; Page A07 Campaign finance legislation was stymied again in the Senate yesterday as Republican moderates failed in an effort to reach a compromise with Democrats on the thorny issue of labor union spending on politics. But Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Russell Feingold (D-Wis.) and other supporters of their fund-raising overhaul bill vowed to continue fighting – by guerrilla tactics if necessary – when Congress returns from its week-long Columbus Day recess. "We will not stop, not with this vote . . . or the next vote . . . or the one after that," Minority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) told a rally on the Capitol steps that was aimed at demonstrating Democratic unity on behalf of campaign reform. Shortly before, inside the Senate chamber, McCain criticized the parliamentary obstacles created by Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) to block campaign finance proposals from being attached to other legislation, including a huge highway reauthorization bill that was brought up for consideration Wednesday. To bar senators from amending bills in order to secure votes on important issues is to "disenfranchise" them, he said. "We cannot be disenfranchised permanently . . . because to do so would disenfranchise the American people. The people have a right to know where their elected representatives stand on the issue of campaign finance reform." McCain indicated he will keep offering an amendment to ban unregulated "soft money" contributions to political parties, which is the cornerstone of the McCain-Feingold bill. McCain's statement followed the Senate's third roll call in as many days that fell short of the 60 votes needed to break a Republican filibuster aimed at blocking a vote on the bill. The vote was 52 to 48, eight short of the required number. The bill's proponents actually lost ground since the first vote. On Wednesday, Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R-Ark.) switched and voted to sustain the filibuster, accusing Democrats of having "politicized" the process. Then the Senate again sustained a Democratic filibuster against Lott's proposal to require unions to get advance permission of workers before spending dues money on politics. That vote was 51 to 48, or nine short. Moderate Republicans James M. Jeffords (Vt.) and Olympia J. Snowe (Maine) had hoped to create a breakthrough by negotiating a compromise on Lott's proposal, broadening it to include corporations and volunteer organizations. But they failed with Republicans earlier this week and again with Democrats late Wednesday. "The Senate has missed an opportunity today to coalesce around a middle ground that would allow campaign finance reform to advance," Snowe said. But Snowe and Jeffords promised to continue their efforts and Snowe called on Lott and Daschle to appoint a "bipartisan working group of senators who want to make the system work" to forge a bill that can pass. © Copyright 1997 The Washington Post Company Back to the top Go to Campaign Finance Report | Go to Politics Section