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On the Issues
Campaign and Election Reform
Our democracy depends on the American people’s faith in elections and in their elected representatives. Citizens must be confident that every vote will be counted and that their elected officials will adhere to the highest ethical standards. I am also concerned about the potentially corrupting influence of money in politics and believe that meaningful and effective campaign finance laws are essential to the integrity of our democracy.
I am a strong supporter of the two major campaign finance reforms enacted by Congress, the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) and the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA). BCRA contains a provision that I authored based on North Carolina law (the “Stand By Your Ad” rule), and I have introduced legislation, the Responsible Campaign Communications Act of 2007, to extend “Stand by Your Ad” requirements to prerecorded “robo-calls” and ads conveyed over the Internet.
I have also introduced legislation to reform the presidential public financing system. Since its inception in the dark days of Watergate, the public financing system has provided a viable alternative to the private money chase for Republican and Democratic candidates alike. But today, the public financing system, which has not been updated in over 30 years, is not working. It has not kept pace with the rising cost of running a campaign, and that’s why so many of the major presidential candidates opted out of the system in 2008. My bill, the Presidential Funding Act (H.R. 4294) would update and improve the current system so that public financing continues to be viable for modern-day campaigns.
I am also taking a lead role in fighting for needed election reforms to ensure that every American citizen who casts a ballot can be confident that his or her vote will count. In North Carolina, we have witnessed firsthand the potential pitfalls of electronic voting, and that’s why I have cosponsored legislation to ensure that we have the necessary paper records to validate election results. In addition, I cosponsored legislation to provide monetary assistance for states to provide paper ballots in time for the 2008 elections. And finally, I am the sponsor of the Count Every Vote Act (H.R. 2628) which would give the country more time to certify a presidential election if it is disputed.
Related Information
Reforming the Presidential Campaign Financing System
Federal Election Commission Summary of Campaign Finance Laws
CRS Report: Election Reform Issues
CRS Report: Campaign Finance Reform Issues
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U.S. House of Representatives
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Fax: 202.225.2014 |
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