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Xavier Becerra on Government Reform

Democratic Representative (CA-31)

 


Made structural changes at California Dept. of Justice

On Cabinet nomination "The California Justice Department is bigger than many state governments in terms of its reach and scope," said Obama HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who praised Becerra as a "smart, strategic" pick who will be able to recruit top talent. Those who worked with him at California's DOJ praised his willingness to push for structural changes, including creating new legal teams and changing a paper resume requirement that he worried was discouraging young talent from applying.
Source: Politico.com blog on Biden Cabinet , Dec 7, 2020

Overcome voting barriers by getting out to vote

The wall on the border is not the only wall that this Administration is trying to build:

The Trump Administration--they are putting a wall between you and the voting booth. But I have news for you here: They failed! During the November elections, Latinos, especially young people, came out to vote in historic numbers!

You don't believe me? With your votes last November, you changed the composition of Congress. The votes of congress members the President relied on, he no longer has them.

Source: Democratic Spanish response to the 2019 State of the Union , Feb 5, 2019

Keep campaign soft money; allow legal resident contributions.

Becerra adopted the CHC principles:

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) adopted principles on campaign finance reform today to ensure that the reform efforts underway in Congress do not limit the growing Latino population’s path to political empowerment. The CHC principles support maintaining the hard money individual contribution limit at $1000, allowing “soft money” to be used strictly for voter registration and turnout activities, ensuring that legal permanent residents are not stripped of their right to make campaign contributions, and raising election reform as philosophically linked to campaign finance reform without slowing down legislative progress on either effort. “These principles are very important to the empowerment of minorities and we will press forward to ensure they are addressed in whatever legislation is ultimately passed by Congress,” said Silvestre Reyes, Chair of the CHC. “We in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus hope to join with the Congressional Black Caucus to advance these principles.”

    Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) adopted principles on campaign finance reform:
  1. The CHC opposes the increased hard dollar campaign contribution limits as passed by the Senate. The limit in current law is $1000, and the Senate amended McCain-Feingold to raise the limit to $2000, indexed for inflation.
  2. The CHC supports exemptions that would allow soft money to be used strictly for voter registration and get-out-the-vote activities.
  3. The CHC supports the right of legal permanent residents to make campaign contributions. Current law allows this, but past amendments to campaign finance reform bills have sought to outlaw legal permanent residents’ right to make campaign contributions.
  4. While campaign finance reform and election reform are linked philosophically because they seek to strengthen the integrity of our democracy, the CHC does not rule out nor necessarily support linking the two issues legislatively.
Source: CHC Principles on Campaign Finance Reform, press release 01-CHC1 on Jun 28, 2001

Subject independent 527s to rules for political committees.

Becerra co-sponsored subjecting independent 527s to political committee rules

OnTheIssues.org Explanation: `527 organizations` were inspired by the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill. The `527` refers to the relevant section of the tax code. 527s are independent organizations which raise and spend money on behalf of a candidate, without coordinating with the candidate. An example is the `Swift Boat` group in the 2004 elections. OFFICIAL CONGRESSIONAL SUMMARY: A bill to clarify when organizations described in section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code must register as political committees.

SPONSOR`S INTRODUCTORY REMARKS: Sen. McCAIN: This bill would end the illegal practice of `527` groups spending soft money on ads and other activities to influence Federal elections. A number of 527 groups raised and spent a substantial amount of soft money in a blatant effort to influence the outcome of last year`s Presidential election. These activities are illegal under existing laws, and yet once again, the FEC has failed to do its job and has refused to do anything to stop these illegal activities. Therefore, we must pursue all possible steps to overturn the FEC`s misinterpretation of the campaign finance laws, which is improperly allowing 527 groups whose purpose is to influence Federal elections to spend soft money on these efforts.

The bill we introduce today is simple. It would require that all 527s register as political committees and comply with Federal campaign finance laws, including Federal limits on the contributions they receive, unless the money they raise and spend is only in connection with non-Federal elections.

Enough is enough. It is time to stop wasting taxpayer`s dollars on an agency that runs roughshod over the will of the Congress and the Constitution. We`ve fought too hard to sit back and allow this worthless agency to undermine the law.

LEGISLATIVE OUTCOME:Referred to Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. Hearings held; never came to a vote.

Source: 527s in BCRA (S.271/H.R.513) 05-S0271 on Feb 2, 2005

Prohibit non-legislated earmarks.

Becerra co-sponsored prohibiting non-legislated earmarks

OFFICIAL CONGRESSIONAL SUMMARY: A bill to prohibit Federal agencies from obligating funds for appropriations earmarks included only in congressional reports.

SPONSOR`S INTRODUCTORY REMARKS: Sen. McCAIN: This bill would prohibit Federal agencies from obligating funds which have been earmarked only in congressional reports. This legislation is designed to help reign in unauthorized, unrequested, run-of-the-mill pork barrel projects.

Report language does not have the force of law. That fact has been lost when it comes to appropriations bills and reports. It has become a standard practice to load up committee reports with literally billions of dollars in unrequested, unauthorized, and wasteful pork barrel projects.

We simply must start making some very tough decisions around here if we are serious about improving our fiscal future. It is simply not fiscally responsible for us to continue to load up appropriations bills with wasteful and unnecessary spending, and good deals for special interests and their lobbyists. We have had ample opportunities to tighten our belts in this town in recent years, and we have taken a pass each and every time. We can`t put off the inevitable any longer.

LEGISLATIVE OUTCOME:Referred to Senate Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management & Government Information; hearings held; never came to a vote.

Source: Obligation of Funds Transparency Act (S.1495/H.R.1642) 05-S1495 on Jul 26, 2005

Ban stock trading based on Congressional insider knowledge.

Becerra co-sponsored STOCK Act

Congressional Summary:Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act (STOCK Act): Amends the Securities Exchange Act and the Commodity Exchange Act to prohibit purchase or sale of either securities or commodities by a person in possession of material nonpublic information regarding pending or prospective legislative action.

Bill explanation (ProCon.org, `Insider Trading by Congress`, Feb. 3, 2012):

Source: H1148/S1871 11-S1871 on Nov 15, 2011

Require full disclosure of independent campaign expenditures.

Becerra co-sponsored DISCLOSE Act

Congressional Summary:

Wikipedia & OnTheIssue Summary: