wfn.org | Most ELCA Bishops Sign Letter Calling for Campaign Finance Reform

[news@ELCA.ORG]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

March 23, 2001

MOST ELCA BISHOPS SIGN LETTER CALLING FOR CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM
01-68-JB

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), and 51 ELCA
synod bishops signed a March 16 letter urging Congress to pass
campaign finance reform legislation.  The letter was sent to members
of the U.S. Senate, as Congress considers the Bipartisan Campaign
Finance Reform Act of 2001.
     The legislation, which would ban so-called "soft money" from
political campaigns, is commonly known as "McCain-Feingold."  The
bill is named for its authors, U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and
U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.).
     The letter was signed by a total of 286 U.S. religious leaders
from several denominations. It was part of an initiative sponsored by
Religious Leaders for Campaign Finance Reform, convened by the
National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. (NCC).  The
coalition includes leaders from more than 20 Christian denominations
or churches, and from the Reform Jewish Movement and the Unitarian
Universalist Association.
     The religious leaders urged congressional representatives "to
support the bill in its current form in order to restore credibility
to the democratic process and ensure that persons and groups with
extraordinary wealth do not continue to have undue influence in our
elections," according to the letter.
     "While further reform, including voluntary major public
financing of election campaigns, will undoubtedly be necessary, the
McCain-Feingold bill is a significant first step in building fairness
and public confidence in our system of government," the letter said.
     Many who signed the letter were part of an open letter to
Congress four years ago calling for passage of meaningful campaign
finance reform, according to an NCC news release.
     Some religious leaders participated in a March 20 news
conference in Washington, D.C., to raise public attention to their
call for campaign finance reform.
     "Not only does the McCain-Feingold bill have bipartisan
support, it also has widespread theological support," said the Rev.
Robert W. Edgar, general secretary of the NCC, quoted in the
news release.  Edgar also signed the letter.
     "It's a faith issue because we need Congress to act not at the
behest of the special interests that can fund their campaigns but on
the national interest, especially the needs of people in poverty and
of children," he said in the release.
     Among the religious leaders who spoke at the news conference
was the Rev. Russell O. Siler, director, Lutheran Office for
Governmental Affairs (LOGA).  LOGA is the ELCA's federal public
policy office based in Washington, D.C.  U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone
(D-Minn.) also spoke.

     For the complete text of the letter and the names of those who
signed it, go to http://www.ncccusa.org/news/01news25a.html on the
NCC Web site.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html