LABOR LAW REFORM / ELECTIONS & POLITICS / UNION
DUES
McConnell Outlines Strategy on Campaign Finance Regulation
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) acknowledged
Feb. 16 at the Conservative Political Action Conference that he has abandoned
his decade-long filibuster against campaign finance reform legislation.
But McConnell said the "McCain-Feingold bill" (S27) still could be stopped
by a veto from President Bush. The reason for such a veto, he indicated,
would be the measure's failure to include a "paycheck protection" provision
to limit unions' political power. "Let's keep up the fight against
McCain-Feingold," McConnell told a cheering crowd "We can stop it if you'll
be energized and go after it."
McConnell signaled that he has not softened his opposition to the campaign finance regulation bill sponsored by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Russell Feingold (D-Wis.). The bill, set to be debated in the Senate this month, would ban unregulated "soft money" contributions to political parties and restrict so-called issue ads that refer to candidates in the weeks before an election.
McConnell acknowledged that the 2000 elections cut the number of regulation opponents, making a filibuster impossible. Instead, McConnell said, his forces would employ a new strategy, including offering "lots of amendments" on the Senate floor. He admitted though that amendments he supports, such as paycheck protection, are "not likely to pass." The last line of defense would be a veto by the Bush White House. McConnell indicated he would argue that a regulation bill that does not limit unions should not be signed. "I'm hopeful that the administration would not allow such a thing to become law," he said.
McConnell said conservatives oppose limits on issue-advocacy organizations seeking to influence elections on First Amendment grounds. However, McConnell said, there was "one great abuse" that must be curbed -- the ability of unions to use their members' dues for political purposes. He said unions "scoop up money from members" and give 100% of it to support Democratic candidates. Conservatives believe that a paycheck-protection provision would cut union money from rank-and-file members, who they claim do not support the liberal political agenda of the union hierarchy.
Paycheck protection is a shorthand term used by supporters of a proposal to require unions members to give permission to allow their dues to be used for political purposes. Union officials note that federal law already allows their members to opt out of political activities if they choose to do so.
McConnell's comments came on the heels of an announcement by the AFL-CIO that it, too, opposes some major aspects of the "McCain-Feingold bill." It indicated it would fight any attempt to add a paycheck-protection amendment. But it said it also objects to provisions in the bill as introduced, which would ban corporate- and union-sponsored issue ads in a preelection period and place new restrictions on "coordination" among candidates, political parties, and outside groups. [BNA 2/20/01]
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