Number: 2001-06
WHEREAS, the American public has lost faith in our federal campaign system due to the ability of special monied interests to give large contributions to elected officials to buy access and influence; and
WHEREAS, the public interest and concern about environmental issues will continue to take a back seat to special interests who “pay to play”, threatening clean water, clean air and the wildlife and wild places we seek to conserve; and
WHEREAS, the way to help rid politics of the corrupting influence of money and keep special interests from unduly influencing the political system is to enact bipartisan, comprehensive campaign finance reform; and
WHEREAS, enacting comprehensive campaign finance reform will help; 1)restore public confidence in the fairness of the legislative processes, 2) return the system to a more representative style of government, and 3) allow our elected representatives to focus more on even-handed deliberation of public policy, than on fundraising or consideration of donors’ interests; and
WHEREAS, enacting comprehensive campaign finance reform will help ensure decisions are based on the merits, such as what is good for the environment;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation at its Annual Meeting assembled April 4-6, 2001 in Washington, DC, supports the enactment by Congress of comprehensive laws reforming the financing of all political campaigns for elected federal office; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that such reforms should include, at a minimum; 1) full and prompt public disclosure of campaign contributors, 2) elimination of so-called “soft money” contributions to the national political parties, 3) no increase of the present $1000 “hard money” limit on individual contributions, and 4) provisions for voluntary public financing of election campaigns for qualifying U.S. Senate and House of Representatives candidates. Qualified candidates are those individuals who agree to imposed spending limits.