OnTheIssues Fact Checking: on Government Reform

Bill Cassidy: FactCheck: Yes, giving water to voters is criminalized

"No person shall solicit votes in any manner or by any means or method, nor shall any person distribute or display any campaign material, nor shall any person give, offer to give, or participate in the giving of any money or gifts, including, but not limited to, food and drink, to an elector," the new law states. The law applies within 150 feet of a polling place or within 25 feet of any voter at a polling place. Violators are guilty of a misdemeanor.

OnTheIssues conclusion: Giving voters water IS criminalized with a misdemeanor penalty. Cassidy is also wrong that providing water is illegal only if they "tell them who to vote for"--that's called "electioneering." The law says that electioneering is illegal AND giving voters water is illegal.

Ed Markey: Authored laws on Telecomm, insider trading, and Alzheimers

1. 2010 H.R.4689: Latest Title: National Alzheimer's Project Act
2. 2009 H.R.2866: Latest Title: Improving Access to Clinical Trials Act
3. 1993 H.R.616: Securities Exchange Act Amendment
4. 1992 H.R.2977 & H.R.6180: Telecommunications Authorization Act
5. 1990 H.R.3657: Market Reform Act
6. 1990 H.R.3656: Gas Related Activities Act
7. 1990 H.R.3265 Federal Communications Commission Authorization Act
8. 1989 HR.3310 & 1987 HR.2472: Appropriations for National Telecommunications and Information Administration
9. 1988 H.R.5133: Latest Title: Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act
10. 1988 H.R.4118: Latest Title: Public Telecommunications Act

Joe Biden: 30 years ago, I proposed campaign finance reform

Biden: You want to do that? Do what I proposed over 30 years ago: federally fund all elections.

FACT-CHECK: Did Biden propose campaign finance reform long ago? Yes, he proposed donation limits when there were no limits, in 1974, with federal matching funds:

Biden on 1974 WGBH "Open Vault" (PBS interview): "The system does produce corruption; I think implicit in the system is corruption. If the only way you can raise any money to run for public office is to go to vested interest groups, then you prostitute the ideas you have about government. If you limit the amount that can be spent, you run the risk of the tyranny of the incumbent [against] a challenger. [I support] a bill that limits the amount that an individual can contribute [to] $3,000. And I support [a bill to federally] match donations up to $100.