Will The Last Person Leaving The FEC Please Turn Out The Lights?
The Federal Elections Commission will, for all intents and purposes, be officially out of business effective January 1st, due to the failure of Congress to approve new commissioners. (I posted about this situation before the actual train wreck that has now happened.) The Democrats refused to confirm Hans A. von Spakovsky, one of the Republican nominees and the Republicans then refused to let the Democratic nominees be confirmed, adopting an all or none position. The situation leaves the FEC without any means to actually do any important work until new nominees are approved. Things like approving campaign matching funds.
Seven presidential candidates have applied to receive public matching funds for their campaigns, but they may not be able to access the money until the FEC certifies their requests. That takes four votes.
The national political parties each anticipate an infusion of about $1 million from the U.S. Treasury to help pay for their national conventions. Releasing that money takes four votes.
And then there is a range of vexing campaign finance questions that hang in limbo: Can a firm that operates a blimp accept unlimited contributions to fly it over New Hampshire with Ron Paul's name on the side? Can a senator use his campaign account as a legal defense fund? How will campaigns comply with the new law that requires them to identify the lobbyists who are collecting campaign checks on their behalf?
"Work on those questions will grind to a halt," said FEC Chairman Robert D. Lenhard, whose recess appointment will expire on New Year's Eve. Lenhard said he did not wish to reflect on the situation, other than to offer a familiar lament.
"Politics," he said glumly yesterday, before returning to the ice rink to skate with his daughter. "That's what generated this situation."
The FEC is composed of three appointees from each party, all nominated by the president. There is already one vacancy, and three recess appointments will expire on Dec. 31.
This situation is ridiculous. The Democrats are holding the whole process hostage because they do not like von Spakovsky. The Republicans are not trying to derail the Democrat's FEC nominees personally, they are merely refusing to allow what amounts to a legislative veto of a qualified candidate. Who gets hurt? The lower tier presidential contenders. from both parties. At least this time the Republicans have stood their ground and refused to allow the Democrats to roll the process, as has been their practice for quite some time now.
By old_dawg, Saturday, 22 December , 2007 @ 10:25 am
I am really trying to see the downside in this. A federal agency that exercises extra-constitutional power is out of business and some small amount of our tax money is no longer being wasted. What is not to like?
By Mwalimu Daudi, Saturday, 22 December , 2007 @ 9:41 pm
Good things happen when people stand up to the Democrats!
By martian, Sunday, 23 December , 2007 @ 1:21 pm
Has anyone considered that the Dems are holding up the process because THEY don’t want the FEC looking over their shoulders in the coming election? Just a thought.