Why Is The Beck Issue Being Raised In Connection With Campaign Finance Reform?
Many Republicans are angry about political activities of unions in the 1996 elections. They would like to undercut labor’s ability to engage in those activities by restricting the money available for them. But the Beck decision and proposals to extend it to union members are matters of labor law, not campaign finance law. Democrats are unalterably opposed to changing labor law as part of campaign finance reform legislation. Thus, for Republicans eager to kill campaign finance reform, amending the McCain-Feingold campaign finance bill to attack union participation in elections would have the happy consequence of making the bill unpalatable to Democrats. Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-MS) candidly admitted his intent to use the Beck issue to kill reform when he said that he intended to offer an amendment that contained a number of “poison pills.” If that amendment passes, Lott said, “I’ve set it up where they’re going to be doing the filibustering.” Senator Lott wants to sink reform, and
