Seize the moment: it's time for Congress and Clinton to deliver on campaign finance reform - Column

It's time for Congress and Clinton to deliver on campaign finance reform.

Not since the founding days of Common Cause 22 years ago have we witnessed as powerful a public mood for change in Washington as we see now. And not since those early years have we faced as great an opportunity to advance the Common Cause agenda in a dramatic way.

President Clinton sought and won the presidency on a message of change. A key part of his message was that, as president, he would change the way business is done in Washington and clean up the system. President Clinton reiterated this theme in his inaugural address:

"To renew America, we must revitalize our democracy. ... And so I say to all of us here, let us resolve to reform our politics, so that power and privilege no longer shout down the voice of the people. ... Let us give this capital back to the people to whom it belongs."

President Clinton's strong public support of campaign finance reform and his promise to push for early action, combined with the majority of House and Senate members who are publicly on record in support of real reform, puts us within reach of making a dramatic change in Washington's culture of influence money.

But precisely because we are on the threshold of reform, opponents are marshaling their significant resources to block change.

Special interest political action committees (PACs) are fighting to maintain the influence with Congress that their campaign contributions provide. Political party leaders are resisting efforts to shut down the soft money system that funnels huge contributions into federal elections in evasion of federal anti-corruption laws. Incumbents of both parties, in both houses of Congress, are resisting reforms that will reduce their built-in financial advantages over challengers.

Republican opponents in the Senate are threatening to resort to an obstructionist filibuster to block campaign finance reform from coming up for a vote.

And in the House, there continues to be resistance to change, as a January New York Times editorial notes: "Just when Americans thought they had voted for campaign finance reform, the Democratic congressional leadership is warming to its old stalls and dodges. House Speaker Thomas Foley, who promised prompt action to clean up the system that robs voters of competitive elections and binds lawmakers to big money, now wants to delay the effective date of any new laws until January 1995.

"Handy timing for the Capitol gang on both sides of the aisle. It would allow yet another congressional election run under the current corrupt rules. That's a gift for incumbents. But for the average citizens, it would be a betrayal."

The editorial goes on to say, "If Mr. Clinton really means to transform the way Washington works, he needs to move quickly and unambiguously to end the campaign finance scandal."

In 1977, under circumstances remarkably similar to today, a six-month delay by Jimmy Carter in consideration of campaign finance legislation gave special interests and Senate Republicans the time they needed to put together a successful filibuster that killed campaign finance reform legislation.

Reform advocates have worked hard ever since then to create another opportunity for real reform. Now it's here. What happened in 1977 must not be allowed to happen again. It's time to seize the moment.

The campaign finance reform legislation passed by Congress last year and vetoed by President Bush provides a comprehensive approach upon which to build.

Following the veto, then-candidate Clinton stated, "I would urge Congress to go right back and give him a tougher bill."

The new law must curb the role of PAC money, shut down the soft money system and provide clean resources to replace special interest money.

And it must be effective for the next congressional races. Citizens voted in 1992 for change now, not in 1995.

The 1992 election raised the hopes and the expectations of the American people. Millions of Americans have suspended, for the moment, their skepticism and cynicism about the political system. The mandate of '92 provides a unique opportunity to help realize those hopes and expectations by finally reforming the campaign system and changing the Washington special interest money culture.

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