AFL-CIO Council Launches Campaign to Change Election Finance Laws

The AFL-CIO Executive Council, meeting in Milwaukee for its spring session, outlined a program for a comprehensive overhaul of the nation’s election campaign finance laws and called on Congress to act promptly and decisively. The reforms would make certain that “wealth no longer yields disproportionate influence” in the election process and ensures that the voices of citizens will be heard, the AFL-CIO said. The federation has been pressing for real campaign finance reform for several years and outlined a broad plan of reform three years ago.
CWA President Morton Bahr pointed out that the radical right’s agenda for campaign finance reform is “to silence workers’ voice in the political process, while corporations and other groups would continue to have free rein in raising and spending millions.”
“So far, we’ve defeated these attempts to shut working families out of the political process, and we’ll continue to fight for real reform,” he said.
The AFL-CIO stressed that changes in campaign finance laws must include these key elements:

• Public financing of the primary and general election campaigns for congressional offices and the Presidency, with a qualifying threshold set to determine eligibility for funds.
  
• Limits on individual contributions to candidates and parties, with current levels maintained or reduced.
  
• Restrictions on “soft money” donations to political parties and political committees controlled by parties or candidates.
  
• Full disclosure of donations from independent “soft money” political committees, similar to requirements already placed on “hard money” committees.
  
• Substantial amounts of free television and radio time, and reduced postage rates, so that candidates can better communicate.
  
• Protection of the First Amendment rights of individuals and organizations to speak out on ideas, issues and policy choices. Initiatives that would restrict free speech under the guise of campaign finance reform should be strongly resisted.
  
• Expanding and simplifying the registration and voting process, by eliminating existing restrictions on registration and making voting times more accessible to working families.
  

In other action, the AFL-CIO created a new national organization for retirees, the Alliance for Retired Americans, that will build on the work of the National Council of Senior Citizens.
The new organization will mobilize current seniors as well as the estimated 5 million union members who will be retiring in the next six to seven years. Union members will automatically become members of the Alliance on retirement, and the program will be funded by the AFL-CIO, through the Union Privilege program.