Fight Moves to House of Representatives: United States Senate Passes McCain-Feingold Bill to Restrict Free Speech, 59-41.

WASHINGTON (April 4) - - A bill to place unprecedented restrictions on free speech has been approved by the U.S. Senate and will be debated this summer in the House of Representatives.

The McCain-Feingold "campaign finance reform" bill (S. 27) passed the Senate on April 2 by a vote of 59 to 41.

The bill is sponsored by Senators John McCain (R-Az.) and Russell Feingold (D-Wi.). It passed over objections from the NRLC, the Christian Coalition, the Family Research Council, and numerous other organizations that work to keep citizens informed about what members of Congress are doing in Washington.

Immediately prior to the vote, pro-life Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who led the battle against the legislation, held up the fat bill and commented, "This is a massive transfer of speech away from the two great political parties to the press, to academia, to Hollywood, to billionaires. ... This is a stunningly stupid thing to do."

Following the vote, NRLC Legislative Director Douglas Johnson commended the 41 senators who voted against the bill.

"The senators who opposed the bill took a courageous stand to defend citizen groups' First Amendment right to free speech about politicians," Johnson said. "They defended the First Amendment in the face of strong pressure from the institutional news media, Hollywood, and elitist special-interest groups like Common Cause."

The bill was supported by 47 Democratic senators and 12 Republican senators. It was opposed by three Democratic senators and 38 Republican senators. (The roll call appears on page 33.)