The Interfaith Alliance Foundation Commends Congress for Passing Campaign Finance Reform

3/20/2002

From: Jenny Davis of the Interfaith Alliance , 202-639-6370

WASHINGTON, March 20 -- Following the passage of the Shays-Meehan Bill in the Senate this afternoon, The Interfaith Alliance Foundation (TIAF) commended members of the Senate for their affirmation of the importance in moving toward true campaign finance reform.

"This vote on the Shays-Meehan Bill is a landmark event that demonstrates members of Congress are truly committed to working toward true campaign finance reform," said the Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, executive director of TIAF. "However, while the passage of this bill is a good first step, loopholes still abound in the campaign finance system. Reforming this system will be an ongoing battle to ensure that money flows through the proper channels and that tax restrictions on partisan campaign contributions remain in place."

Many of the major aspects of the Senate Bill are supported by a majority of clergy and people of faith (1), according to a poll conducted by the Gallup Organization for TIAF last September. The poll tested the attitudes of people of faith (1) and clergy toward the issue of campaign finance reform.

The poll results (www.callforreform.org) found that the majority of people of faith (1) believed campaign finance reform was very important, and that people of faith (1) and the clergy both are quite optimistic that stricter laws on campaign limits and disclosure would have a positive effect in many areas of American life.

The poll findings also support the Bill's banning of unlimited "soft money" contributions to political parties, finding that the majority of clergy and people of faith would favor banning all soft money donations.

Some poll results included:

-- 71 percent of people of faith favored full disclosure combined with strict limits on contributions made to political campaigns

-- 45 percent of people of faith also favor banning television ads by interest groups in the last 60 days before an election

"Results of this poll clearly demonstrate that campaign finance reform is an issue that goes to the essence of the ethical and moral life of our nation; it speaks to our society's shared values of honesty, integrity and equality," the Rev. Gaddy said. "We hope the nation's lawmakers will continue in their efforts to reform the campaign finance system to exemplify these shared values."

The results of the Gallup polls and feedback from ten focus groups, which surveyed people of faith and clergy, were originally released at a press conference at the National Press Club on September 6, 2001. TIAF sponsored the polls in cooperation with Colby College, through the support of The Pew Charitable Trusts.

--- (1) The Interfaith Alliance Foundation commissioned The Gallup Organization to conduct a nationwide sample of 1,200 people of faith with an over sample of 300 clergy. For quantitative purposes, people of faith are identified as those who attend a place of worship at least once a month or said religion was extremely important to them.

------ The Interfaith Alliance Foundation (TIAF) is a nonpartisan, educational institution dedicated to promoting the positive role of religion as a healing and constructive force in American life. TIAF provides training, education, research and other support to a growing grassroots network of clergy and people of faith who are working to promote social justice in their communities. For more information about TIAF, visit http://www.interfaithalliance.org.

The Pew Charitable Trusts support nonprofit activities in the areas of culture, education, the environment, health and human services, public policy and religion. Based in Philadelphia, the Trusts make strategic investments to help organizations and citizens develop practical solutions to difficult problems. In 2001, with approximately $4.3 billion in assets, the Trusts committed over $230 million to 175 nonprofit organizations.