On June 4, U.S. Senators Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma) and Mark Udall (D-Colorado) introduced a bill to delete any public funds for presidential convention expenses. The bill, if enacted, would not take effect until next year. Each party that polled at least 25% of the vote in the last presidential election is entitled to approximately $17,000,000 to help pay for its national presidential conventions. Parties that got 5% but under 25% get a lesser amount.
The bill would not have any effect on money spent by government to provide security for the conventions, which now requires an expenditure of approximately $100,000,000. Here is the text of the bill.
What political courage! One convention costs us less than half the cost of a recall election for governor in this post United v. FEC world. Chump change.
What part of the nearly dead 1787 U.S.A. Const. permits ANY Fed spending on robot party hack conventions – national, state or local ???
i.e. one more EVIL perversion of the nearly dead Const.
$17,000,000 for each party that got 5% last time?
If I recall correctly, the Reform Party only got $2.6 million for its 2000 nominating convention, after Perot got 9% in 1996.
#3, you’re right. I amended the post.
It will be interesting on how many Senators sign on as sponsors, in a bill that I think will go nowhere given the two party system and the way votes would go if this legislation made to the floor for a vote.
Why not make them pay their own security as well?
This is a step in the right direction. Too bad that it won’t go anywhere.