Tuesday, June 12, 2001
Contact: James Bopp, Jr. General Counsel 
Phone: 812/232-2434;
Fax 812/235-3685 
madisoncenter@aol.com 

On June 12, James Bopp, Jr. testified before the Subcommittee on the 
Constitution of the House Committee on the Judiciary in Washington, D.C., at 
an oversight hearing entitled "Constitutional Issues Raised by Recent 
Campaign Finance Legislation Restricting Freedom of Speech." 

In his oral and written testimony, the Madison Center's General Counsel 
focused on the damage current bills would inflict on political parties and 
that McCain-Feingold (S. 27) and Shays-Meehan (H.R. 380) were alike in their 
"woeful ignorance of -- or outright disdain for -- the constitutionally 
protected role political parties play in our republican democracy." 

Bopp demonstrated the vital role that political parties play in our 
governmental system and that they should strengthened, rather than limited. 
The testimony quoted numerous authorities on the importance of the American 
political party system, including U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day 
O'Connor, who wrote in a recent opinion that "[t]he preservation and health 
of our political institutions, state and federal, depends to no small extent 
on the continued vitality of our two-party system, which permits both 
stability and measured change." 

Bopp's advised the subcommittee that the weakening of parties contained in 
current campaign finance proposals was without "justification, in either 
policy or law." For example, the First Amendment mandates that issue advocacy 
cannot be regulated by government, yet current proposals would restrict the 
ability of parties to advocate issues in the public forum. 

Bopp concluded his testimony with the comment that "[t]rue reform would 
recognize that strong political parties would promote both a healthy 
electoral system and the liberties guaranteed by the First Amendment." 

Bopp was invited to testify because of his expertise on campaign finance 
reform and the Constitution developed through litigating numerous cases 
striking down unconstitutional campaign finance laws and regulations 
(including eight without a loss against the FEC), as well as published 
scholarly articles, other legislative testimony, and comments submitted to 
the FEC on proposed regulations on election law issues. He has also 
represented several party political committees. 

Copies of the June 12 testimony are available in PDF and the June 14 testimony in PDF format or files in either PDF or WordPerfect format by request to madisoncenter@aol.com. Paper copies may be obtained by calling 812/232-2434.