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Robert Menendez on Government Reform

Democratic Jr Senator; previously Representative (NJ-13)

 


Citizens United rolled back decades of progress

Q: Require political ads to disclose their largest funders? Support Citizens United decision, allowing unlimited corporate political donations?

Robert Hugin (R): No position on disclosure laws or Citizens United.

Robert Menendez (D): Yes. Cosponsored DISCLOSE Act requiring disclosure. Says Citizens United "rolled back decades of progress."

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on New Jersey Senate race , Oct 9, 2018

Do everything to protect all Americans' right to vote

Q: Voting Rules: Prioritize preventing possible fraud, even if this limits access?

Robert Hugin (R): No stand found.

Robert Menendez (D): No. "Must do everything in our power to protect all Americans' right to vote."

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on New Jersey Senate race , Oct 9, 2018

Keep the Senate filibuster rules, to encourage debate

Q: Do you think there should be a change in the Senate rules governing the filibuster?

KEAN: No. Negotiation and compromise under the current rules are the best means to success and promotes bipartisan solutions to our nation's challenges.

MENENDEZ: Under Bush, Washington has become too partisan and divided. Senate rules are meant to overcome that by encouraging debate and compromise. They should be preserved.

Source: Hall Institute N.J. Senate Virtual Debate (X-ref Kean) , Sep 24, 2006

Allow dual-office holding for politicians, if voters choose

Q: Should public officials in New Jersey be allowed to hold more than one public office?

KEAN: I sponsored legislation to prohibit dual-office holding. It undermines the integrity and honesty of government. Regrettably, Bob Menendez was a dual-office holder.

MENENDEZ: Voters have the final say in who represents them in government. If the electorate votes you into office, that is the will of the electorate.

Source: Hall Institute N.J. Senate Virtual Debate (X-ref Kean) , Sep 24, 2006

Keep campaign soft money; allow legal resident contributions.

Menendez 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

Establish the United States Public Service Academy.

Menendez co-sponsored establishing the United States Public Service Academy

Introductory statement by Sponsor:

Sen. CLINTON: I rise today to introduce legislation that will create an undergraduate institution designed to cultivate a generation of young leaders dedicated to public service. The US Public Service Academy Act (The PSA Act) will form a national academy to serve as an extraordinary example of effective, national public education.

The tragic events of September 11 and the devastation of natural disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita underscore how much our Nation depends on strong public institutions and competent civilian leadership at all levels of society. Congress must take a step forward to ensure competent civilian leadership and improve our Nation`s ability to respond to future emergencies and to confront daily challenges.

This legislation will create the US Public Service Academy to groom future public servants and build a corps of capable civilian leaders. Modeled after the military service academies, this academy will provide a four-year, federally-subsidized college education for more than 5,000 students a year in exchange for a five year commitment to public service.

The PSA Act will meet critical national needs as the baby-boomer generation approaches retirement. Already, studies show looming shortages in the Federal civil service, public education, law enforcement, the non-profit sector and other essential areas.

Unfortunately our young people are priced out of public service careers all too often. By providing a service-oriented education at no cost to the student, the PSA Act will tap into the strong desire to serve that already exists among college students while erasing the burden of enormous college debt.

The establishment of a United States Public Service Academy is an innovative way to strengthen and protect America by creating a corps of well-trained, highly-qualified civilian leaders. I am hopeful that my Senate colleagues from both sides of the aisle will join me today.

Source: United States Public Service Academy Act (S.960 & HR.1671) 07-HR1671 on Mar 23, 2007

Prohibit voter intimidation in federal elections.

Menendez co-sponsored prohibiting voter intimidation in federal elections

Makes it unlawful for anyone before or during a federal election to knowingly communicate false election-related information about that election, with the intent to prevent another person from exercising the right to vote. Increases from one year to five years` imprisonment the criminal penalty for intimidation of voters.

Introductory statement by Sponsor:

Sen. OBAMA: This bill seeks to address the all-too-common efforts to deceive voters in order to keep them away from the polls. It`s hard to imagine that we even need a bill like this. But, unfortunately, there are people who will stop at nothing to try to deceive voters and keep them away from the polls. What`s worse, these practices often target and exploit vulnerable populations, such as minorities, the disabled, or the poor. We saw countless examples in this past election.

Of course, these so-called warnings have no basis in fact, and are made with only one goal in mind--to keep Americans away from the polls. We see these problems election after election, and my hope is that this bill will finally stop these practices. This bill makes voter intimidation & deception punishable by law, and it contains strong penalties. The bill also seeks to address the real harm of these crimes--people who are prevented from voting by misinformation--by establishing a process for reaching out to these misinformed voters with accurate information so they can cast their votes in time.
Source: Voter Intimidation Prevention Act (H.R.1281 & S.453) 07-S453 on Mar 1, 2007

Require full disclosure of independent campaign expenditures.

Menendez co-sponsored DISCLOSE Act

Congressional Summary:

Wikipedia & OnTheIssue Summary: