Over the years, the American people have made it abundantly clear that we do not want our tax dollars spent on political campaigns. Many Americans voluntarily donate to candidates of their choice, and that is perfectly appropriate.
But in 2008, only 8.3 percent of U.S. taxpayers checked a box on their income tax returns that would authorize the spending of tax dollars for public financing of political campaigns.
What makes that low number even more noteworthy is that the tax forms assure taxpayers that checking the box will not add to their taxes nor reduce their refunds. So even if it doesn’t reduce how much they get back, the American people do not consider it fitting for tax dollars to flow to partisan political campaigns.
Therefore, it is troubling that a committee in the U.S. House of Representatives recently approved a measure that would give hundreds of millions of dollars to the campaigns of congressional candidates.
“Have they no shame?” asked Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. “The last thing the American people want right now is what amounts to welfare for politicians.”
House Republicans and Democrats alike should defeat this bad bill when it reaches the House floor, and the Senate should defeat it if it manages to survive in the House.