American Notes Congress

"We're going to stand indicted as hypocrites across this country if we don't address this," Oklahoma Democrat David Boren heatedly told the Senate last week. Soon afterward, his colleagues deftly avoided the issue at hand. By a vote of 84 to 7, the Senate agreed merely to study congressional campaign financing by special-interest political-action committees, or PACs. In so doing, the upper chamber dodged a proposal by Boren and Arizona Republican Barry Goldwater for severe restrictions on PAC contributions, which totaled $105.3 million in last year's congressional races.

By hamstringing the PACs, Congressmen would be denying themselves a heavy advantage that they now enjoy over challengers: three-fourths of PAC contributions go to incumbents. Officeholders who won re-election last year with 70% or more of the vote got $19.1 million from PAC pockets. The Boren proposal would restrict PAC contributions to a total of $100,000 for a House candidate and up to $750,000 for Senate aspirants, based on state population. The PAC limits could be proposed again in the spring--a dim prospect when 34 Senators, many fueled with PAC money, will be starting their re-election campaigns.