Redstate

By Congressman Jeb Hensarling Posted in User Blogs — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

I hear Congressmen Shays and Meehan have introduced an alternative piece of legislation. Do NOT be fooled. I'd share it, but alas, they've yet to post the bill to their web sites. Imagine that. It represents all the muddled thinking and pitfalls as represented by the Campaign Legal Center. The only bill that affords any real protection is Hensarling's HR 1606. - Krempasky

As the Online Freedom of Speech Act(H.R. 1606) heads to the House floor this afternoon for consideration, I thought you might be interested in a piece in today's Roll Call by Robert Bauer. It dispels many of the myths being spread about my bill.  

But there will also be claims made that the passage of the bill will threaten the viability of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, namely that if the Internet is liberated, corporations and other monied malefactors will have new opportunities to evade the law and purchase undue influence.  This is nonsense. The bill merely follows what the Federal Election Commission originally prescribed for the Internet, and what others, such as Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), have independently proposed -- protection from the application of campaign finance restrictions to a medium correctly described by the FEC as "a bastion of free speech." A law designed to limit the machinations of great wealth is not properly used to restrict the use of a medium that is virtually free of cost and both widely available and accessible.

And more specifically...

Opponents of the Hensarling measure have suggested other dangers, murky in their details but meant to suggest that the Internet poses a threat to clean government. Their favored hypothetical is that of a corporation conniving with a candidate to produce an expensive promotional video, paid with corporate dollars and then posted on some site for a fee (also paid by the corporation). It is claimed this would, if a measure like Hensarling's passes, escape enforcement under BCRA. But this is not so - not at all. The violation described here takes place at the source, upon the expenditure of corporate funds to influence a federal election. Other provisions of the law, including those that prohibit such corporate (or union) spending, would remain unaffected by any amendment restoring the original amendment to exempt Internet.

I hope you enjoy the article.  The House should be ready to consider H.R. 1606 around 2:30 PM so tune in to CSPAN!