New York's Senator
CHARLES E. SCHUMER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 28, 2001

SENATE PASSES SCHUMER AMENDMENTTO MCCAIN-FEINGOLD REFORM BILL

Schumer Amendment Would Provide Parties With Access to Low Advertising Rates and Guaranteed Airtime If They Adhere To Spending Limits That Face Elimination Under Imminent Supreme Court Decision

By a 52-48 margin, the US Senate today passed an amendment to the McCain-Feingold bill offered by US Senator Charles E. Schumer to mitigate the effects of a pending Supreme Court decision that would allow unlimited hard money spending on behalf of candidates by political parties. Schumer's amendment would provide political parties' access to low television advertising rates and guaranteed television slots, provided the national and state parties voluntarily adhere to current limits on party spending on behalf of individual candidates.

"If the Supreme Court eliminates spending caps by political parties on behalf of candidates, much of the corrosive soft money we're working so hard to eliminate will simply re-emerge as hard money spent by the parties," said Schumer. "My amendment will encourage national and state parties to adhere to the current caps and help prevent campaigns from being flooded with unlimited hard money that would undermine the spirit and purpose of McCain-Feingold."

The Supreme Court is currently considering FEC v. Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Committee, a case which questions the constitutionality of limits currently in place on coordinated party spending of hard money on a candidate's behalf. Under Section 441a(d) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA), national and state parties can each spend two cents per voter in coordination with a federal candidate for statewide office. In New York, this translates into a limit of approximately $1.8 million on behalf of a candidate for the US Senate.

Schumer's amendment would attempt to preserve current caps on party spending by requiring parties to continue to observe the Section 441a(d) limits in return for access to the "lowest unit rate" for television advertising and guaranteed spots. Schumer said the amendment would give parties a strong incentive to adhere to current limits since parties are currently forced to pay market rates for ads - which are often double the lowest unit rate - and compete with commercial advertisers for airtime.

Schumer warned that if the Supreme Court invalidated the Section 441a(d) limits, candidates would be able to solicit vast amounts of money from contributors that would be funneled through the parties to their own campaigns. Since FECA allows individuals to contribute up to $20,000 to political parties every year, a single couple can give $240,000 over six years to a Senate candidate through the candidate's political party. Cumulatively, these donations could undermine current hard money limits that prevent unlimited spending by and for candidates, as well as soft money restrictions contained in McCain-Feingold.

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