House Administration Committee Thursday to consider Fair Elections Now Act

Mary Boyle, Common Cause, (202) 487-0518

Nick Nyhart, Public Campaign: (202) 255-9430

House Administration Committee Thursday to consider proposal that would create a voluntary congressional campaign finance system of small donors and public financing

More than 70 co-sponsors in House, momentum building

On Thursday, the House Administration Committee will consider the first bipartisan public financing of elections bill in recent memory. The proposal, sponsored by Reps. John Larson (D-Conn.), Walter Jones (R-N.C.), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), and Todd Platts (R-Pa.), would allow qualified candidates to run for Congress on a system of public funding and small donations.

WHAT: House Administration Hearing on the bi-partisan Fair Elections Now Act

WHEN: Thursday, July 30, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM

WHERE: 1310 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C.

Candidates who voluntarily agreed to accept no more than $100 per contributor for each election, including a primary and general election, would be eligible for a four to one match of federal funding. The legislation has more than 70 sponsors and cosponsors in the House. Senate Assistant Majority Leader Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) is the lead sponsor of companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.

In addition to a number of the lead sponsors of the bill, others expected to testify include Arn Pearson, vice president of programs for Common Cause, a campaign finance expert with expertise on publicly funded election programs; Jeff Garfield, the election administrator of a similar program in Connecticut; and Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree (D), who has run under a similar state law in her home state.

The coalition backing the measure include the Brennan Center for Justice, Change Congress, Common Cause, Democracy Matters, Public Campaign, Public Citizen, and U.S. PIRG. A broad coalition of civic, online, advocacy, union, church, environmental, and civil rights groups have endorsed the campaign reform measure. For more information about the bill and the coalition, visit http://www.fairelectionsnow.org.

Go to http://www.fairelectionsnow.org/bizleader to see the business leader ad in support of the Fair Elections Now Act running in tomorrow’s Roll Call.