Today, former Senators J. Bennett Johnson and Bill Brock, members of our ReFormers Caucus, penned an editorial for The Hill, addressing the disastrous ruling in Buckley v. Valeo, which turns 40 this week.
Buckley v. Valeo struck down previously imposed limits on campaign spending, opening a floodgate of donations into the electoral process while dramatically altering the manner in which campaigns function. Sens. Johnson and Brock write that the effects of the decision as,, “campaign budgets have climbed astronomically… and to be competitive, many members must raise thousands every week of their terms.”
“Our representatives must respect each other, talk to each other, listen to each other, learn from each other, and work together. If they are spending every waking moment seeking cash to get re-elected, that becomes difficult, and partisan gridlock becomes entrenched.”
