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May 24, 2002/Sivan 13 5762, Vol. 54, No. 36
Pushing for 'clean money' reform
MARK J. PELAVIN
Special to Jewish News
When President Bush signed into law the most sweeping overhaul of our campaign financing system in a generation, it marked a victory for effective and responsive government. But perhaps even more significantly, it reasserted the importance of ethical standards in our political system.
For far too long, entrenched interests have wielded disproportionate influence on public policy formation, using unlimited "soft money" contributions as currency to buy access to lawmakers. During the 2000 election, corporations, unions and wealthy individuals donated a record $410 million worth of these unregulated funds to political parties. Meanwhile, the voices of the powerless and penniless became ever more muted.
As Jews, we know that an electoral system that celebrates big money over big ideas is inconsistent with the moral requirements of our tradition. And we know that a society that ignores the cries of the widow, the poor, the orphan and the stranger stands in violation of the most fundamental Jewish values.
The McCain-Feingold law marks a significant step in the right direction by banning soft money and clamping down on sham issue advertisements, which look and sound like campaign commercials but skirt around election regulations by avoiding terms like "support," "oppose" and "vote for."
Religious groups played an important leadership role in pushing for campaign finance reform over the past several years, reminding our national leaders that this is not merely an esoteric technical issue of election regulation, but a question that is deeply intertwined in the moral fabric of our society. Under the banner of Religious Leaders for Campaign Finance Reform, denominational leaders from the Jewish, Protestant, and Catholic faiths worked to advocate for reform on Capitol Hill and to mobilize grassroots support in our communities.
A recent Gallup poll commissioned by The Interfaith Alliance Foundation confirms the growing concern about this issue among people of faith. The poll found that 71 percent of religious Americans, many of whom consider themselves religious conservatives, support strict contribution limits, a position contrary to that of right-wing faith groups like the Christian Coalition.
The poll also found that relatively few people of faith see the connection between campaign finance reform and their religious values. That makes our challenge clear: Religious leaders must continue to emphasize the link between a moral society and the rules it uses to choose its lawmakers.
Just as the religious community advocated for McCain-Feingold as it moved through Congress, so too must we maintain our support as the battle moves into the courts. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the National Rifle Association, the Christian Coalition, the American Civil Liberties Union, and other organizations and individuals have already filed lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the new law. A panel of federal judges is expected to make a ruling early next year and the U.S. Supreme Court is likely to send down a final decision within the next two years.
We must recognize that this legislation is not the beginning of the end for future reform; it is merely the end of the beginning. Even without soft money, the role of big contributions in our elections will no doubt continue, and special interests will once again find loopholes to exploit.
"Clean money" reform, a bold new path toward ethical government, has gained increasing momentum in recent years. Under these systems, candidates who voluntarily reject private donations are given public funds to run their campaigns. Voluntary public financing may be the best hope for a government accountable to all of its citizens, regardless of wealth or status.
Ultimately, campaign finance reform is a Jewish issue because without responsive political leaders and institutions, our work to pursue tikkun olam (repair of the world) is undermined at all levels. Government can provide or withhold the safety net systems upon which the economically vulnerable depend. It can enhance or weaken the educational opportunities to which all people are entitled. It can contribute to public health or consign many Americans to constant suffering.
Although reformers can certainly celebrate an important victory, we cannot afford to become complacent. Our goal, of course, was not just the passage of any one piece of legislation, but a shift in how our elected officials approach their campaigns, their constituents and their work. Until our elected officials spend the preponderance of their time raising our collective moral conscience instead of raising money; until they address the needs of the least fortunate with as much zeal as they address the desires of the wealthy and powerful; the role of the religious voice in this debate should not and must not abate.
Mark J. Pelavin is associate director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.
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