Statement of Chellie Pingree on the 527 Reform Act of 2005

Statement of Chellie Pingree, president and CEO of Common Cause On The Introduction of the 527 Reform Act of 2005

This bill advances the cause of campaign finance reform, and builds on the success of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA). Common Cause strongly supports this legislation, and will press for its passage in Congress.

This carefully crafted bipartisan legislation will do much to prevent the abuses of the 2004 campaign, while protecting the advocacy rights of legitimate nonprofit groups. This bill will bar corporate treasury funds and union treasury funds from being used to influence federal elections. It is an important corollary to BCRA, which banned unlimited “soft money” donations from corporations, unions, and wealthy individuals to the national political parties and federal candidates and officeholders.

We urge swift Congressional action on this legislation this year.