Final FEC Commissioner’s Term Ends Tuesday; President’s Failure to Act Creates Lame Duck Agency

Tuesday will mark a new low for the functioning of the Federal Election Commission. FEC Commissioner Caroline Hunter’s term will officially end at 11:59 pm. At that point, all five commissioners will be sitting on expired seats as lame ducks, as the law permits each to do until a replacement is in place. A sixth expired commissioner resigned in February, leaving her seat open. With the exception of one nominee who withdrew from consideration in 2010, President Obama has failed to nominate anyone else for the six expired terms.

"Ang bola ay nananatili sa korte ni Pangulong Obama upang magmungkahi ng mga bagong komisyoner ng FEC, tulad ng nangyari mula noong araw na siya ay manungkulan," sabi ni Karen Hobert Flynn, senior vice president ng Common Cause para sa diskarte at mga programa. "Kapag kumilos na siya, dapat mabilis na kumilos ang Senado para magsagawa ng mga pagdinig ng kumpirmasyon at iboto ang mga nominado pataas o pababa. Ang unang hakbang, gayunpaman, ay nangangailangan ng pamumuno ng pangulo. Hindi mapapatawad na bukas ng gabi, ang bawat solong upuan sa komisyon ay mawawalan ng bisa o mabakante," aniya.

FEC Commissioners have increasingly deadlocked 3-3 when voting on enforcement matters, leading to very little action against violators. “Campaign finance law has been shifting like quicksand even before the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United. At the very least, Americans deserve a cop on the beat,” said Hobert Flynn.