Submitted by kpaul.mallasch on Thu, 07/26/2007 - 9:31pm.
MFP Tags: Pence Amendment, McCain-Feingold, Congressman Mike Pence, Mike PenceTopics: PoliticsTypes: News
MFP Tags: Pence Amendment, McCain-Feingold, Congressman Mike Pence, Mike PenceTopics: PoliticsTypes: News
Pence Amendment Protecting Free Speech of Grassroots Advocacy Groups Passes U.S. House
Washington, DC - U.S. Congressman Mike Pence’s amendment to protect the free speech of grassroots advocacy groups passed the U.S. House 215-205 today. The amendment was attached to the appropriations bill funding the Departments of Commerce, Justice and Science-related agencies.
“Today freedom of speech prevailed on the floor of the People’s House,” said Pence. “We still have much work to do to reinstate full First Amendment protections to the American people, so badly trampled by McCain-Feingold, but passing the Pence Amendment is a first step to achieving that goal.”
Background on the amendment:
The Pence Amendment prohibits funds appropriated in this bill from being used by the Department of Justice to enforce the criminal penalties provisions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, commonly known as McCain-Feingold, against organizations that make electioneering communications.
The electioneering communications section of McCain-Feingold prohibits the use of corporate or labor union funds to finance broadcast advertisements that include the name or a depiction of a federal candidate within 30 days of a primary or 60 days of a general election. Basically, it restricts the First Amendment right of Americans to lobby their representatives in Washington by use of the airwaves.
On June 25th of this year the Supreme Court, in the case FEC v. Wisconsin Right to Life, ruled unconstitutional this provision in McCain-Feingold that prohibits the broadcasting of such issue advertisements prior to an election even if those advertisements reference a federal candidate and even if the advertisements have some ‘electoral’ effect.
Source: Mike Pence Office Press Release
Technorati Tags:
- Email this Story
- 450 reads
Semi-related re: Pence
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/p000587/key-votes/
Free Speech Amendment
Randall L. Jacobsen Sr.
Proprietor
Sow N Sews Custom Sewing N Repairs
and Army Navy Surplus Of Muncie
1806-1810 East Jackson St.
Muncie, IN 47305-2745
The Pence Amendment "prohibits funds appropriated in this bill" from being used by the Department of Justice to enforce the criminal penalties provisions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, commonly known as McCain-Feingold, against organizations that make electioneering communications.
So how did this get out of committee and why was there no judicial review beforehand? If there was? Who then failed in their duties to correct the language to prevent this?
Post new comment