E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 107th CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 147 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2001 No. 38 Senate The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was APPOINTMENT OF ACTING I thank my colleagues for their at- called to order by the Honorable PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE tention. GEORGE ALLEN, a Senator from the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Mr. REID. Will the Senator yield for State of Virginia. clerk will please read a communication a question? to the Senate from the President pro Mr. JEFFORDS. I am happy to yield. PRAYER tempore (Mr. THURMOND). Mr. REID. Mr. President, through my friend from Vermont, I ask the Chair, The Chaplain, Dr. Lloyd John The legislative clerk read the fol- lowing letter: if all time is used on the Torricelli Ogilvie, offered the following prayer: amendment—he spoke for a short time Gracious Lord, You have told us that U.S. SENATE, PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, last night—what time would the vote if we, as branches, are connected to Washington, DC, March 21, 2001. occur? You, the Vine of virtue, our lives will To the Senate: The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- emulate Your character. We dedicate Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, pore. Approximately 12:20 p.m. this day to live as branches for the flow of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby Mr. REID. I thank the Chair. appoint the Honorable GEORGE ALLEN, a Sen- of Your spirit. We admit that apart f from You, we can accomplish nothing ator from the State of Virginia, to perform of lasting significance. We ask that the the duties of the Chair. BIPARTISAN CAMPAIGN REFORM Senators and all of us who work with STROM THURMOND, ACT OF 2001 President pro tempore. them may be distinguished for the fruit The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- of Your spirit, a cluster of divinely in- Mr. ALLEN thereupon assumed the chair as Acting President pro tempore. pore. Under the previous order, the spired, imputed, and induced traits of Senate will now resume consideration Your nature reproduced in us. f of S. 27, which the clerk will report. Your love encourages us and gives us RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME The legislative clerk read as follows: security; Your joy uplifts us and gives The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- A bill (S. 27) to amend the Federal Election us exuberance; Your peace floods our Campaign Act of 1971 to provide bipartisan hearts with serenity; Your patience pore. Under the previous order, the campaign reform. leadership time is reserved. calms our agitation over difficult peo- Pending: ple and pressured schedules; Your kind- f Torricelli amendment No. 122, to amend ness enables us to deal with our own RECOGNITION OF THE ACTING the Communications Act of 1934 to require and other people’s shortcomings; Your MAJORITY LEADER television broadcast stations, and providers goodness challenges us to make a re- of cable or satellite television service, to newed commitment to absolute integ- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- provide lowest unit rate to committees of po- rity; Your faithfulness produces trust- pore. The Senator from Vermont is rec- litical parties purchasing time on behalf of worthiness that makes us dependable; ognized. candidates. Your gentleness reveals the might of f AMENDMENT NO. 122 true meekness that humbly draws on The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- SCHEDULE Your power; Your Lordship gives us pore. Under the previous order, the self-control because we have accepted Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, today Senate will now resume consideration Your control of our lives. You are the the Senate will immediately resume of the Torricelli amendment No. 122. mighty God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, consideration of the campaign finance The Senator from New Jersey. and Jesus Christ. Amen. reform legislation. Debate will con- Mr. TORRICELLI. Mr. President, the tinue on Senator TORRICELLI’s amend- Senate now turns its attention to what f ment regarding broadcasting. If all de- is the other half of the campaign fi- bate time is used, a vote may be ex- nance problem. It is, after all, not sim- pected around 12 noon. However, some ply what is raised but why money is PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE time may be yielded back, and there- raised and where it is going. The Honorable GEORGE ALLEN led the fore the vote could occur earlier. This Senate, for 5 years, has had to Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: Progress is being made on the bill, and overcome four filibusters to get us to I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the further amendments will be offered this moment in considering campaign United States of America, and to the Repub- throughout the day. As a reminder, finance reform. We have voted on 113 lic for which it stands, one nation under God, votes will occur throughout the day ap- occasions to reform the campaign fi- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. proximately every 3 hours. nance laws. We have considered 300 ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S2603 . VerDate 21-MAR-2001 01:21 Mar 22, 2001 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A21MR6.000 pfrm03 PsN: S21PT1 S2604 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 21, 2001 pieces of legislation, heard 3,000 Today’s political campaigns function as Now, by law, Members of the Senate speeches, and filled 6,000 pages of the collection agencies for broadcasters. You undoubtedly think this was addressed CONGRESSIONAL RECORD. But none of simply transfer money from contributors to years ago, and they would be right in this will mean anything, this legisla- television stations. having that belief. Nothing I am now tion will accomplish no more than During the 2000 elections, the broad- reviewing should be allowed by law. leading to a less informed public with cast networks enjoyed record profits. But there is a loophole, and the loop- less political dialog, if we do not com- The placing of political advertisements hole, as I have illustrated, is that they plement the reduction in fundraising on the networks is not a public service. will sell you the time. They will just with more availability of information They do not do this under duress. It is never guarantee it will ever be seen on by reducing the cost. a major form of network profits. It is television. That, as I think anybody The McCain-Feingold legislation, as estimated to be at least $770 million could assess, is not much of an adver- written, will not abate the expense of and, indeed, figures could be as high as tising campaign. running for political office. It could, if $1 billion that was spent by candidates The law is actually being complied not amended, simply lead to an Amer- on political advertisements—a 76-per- with as an exception. The rule is the ican public, as Senator MCCONNELL has cent increase over 1996. violation. The chart on my left illus- said many times, that is less informed The chart on my left illustrates the trates this point conclusively. The with less political speech. I know no rapid increase. President midterm heavy red lines are advertisements one in the country who believes that is spending, in 1982, adjusted for inflation, that are placed above the lowest unit the kind of reform we genuinely seek. was $200 million; in the year 2000, now rate—remembering that the law re- The Alliance for Better Campaigns reaching $800 million. It is an expo- quires that advertisements be sold to recently stated: nential increase that is unsustainable. political candidates, as required for Reform must do more than limit the sup- The Alliance for Better Campaigns re- communication in Federal elections, at ply of political money. It must also restrain cently issued its report, ‘‘Gouging De- the demand for political money. the lowest unit rate. mocracy, How the TV Industry WCCO in Minneapolis met its public There is a perception in the media Profiteered on Campaign 2000.’’ responsibility by selling 4 percent of and in the public that the entire prob- This report illustrates how stations all of its advertisements at the lowest lem of campaign financing is the across the country took advantage of unit rate. And 95 percent of all the ads amount of money. That is a problem, candidates by increasing their pricing placed were higher than lowest rates. but it is not the only problem. Mem- for advertising just when they knew They are paying commercial rates. bers of this institution know that an that campaigns needed the time the In New York city, an advertising equal burden that must be addressed is most. market with which I am familiar, the amount of time Senators and Mem- In Philadelphia and New York City, WNBC—not some unaffiliated station, bers of the House of Representatives the two media networks which serve but one owned by the National Broad- are taken away from their legislative my State of New Jersey, the cost of casting Company itself—15 percent of responsibilities, not meeting with ordi- some political ads increased almost 50 their ads were in accordance with the nary citizens, to cater to the wealthy percent between Labor Day and elec- law at the lowest unit rate; for 78 per- to gain access to this money. tion day—television stations recog- cent they were charging commercial On the chart on my left, I have taken nizing that unlike an automobile man- a State at random, New Jersey, and rates to Federal candidates for public ufacturer or a soap manufacturer that office.