> Lott seeks campaign finance bill > change its backers call `poison pill' > > Associated Press, 09/30/97 03:20 > > WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott > wants to require labor unions to get written permission > before using member dues for political purposes, a > provision opponents say would kill campaign finance > reform this year. > > ``Most Americans would be shocked to learn that some > workers in our nation are forced to contribute to a > candidate or campaign they don't support (or) don't know > anything about,'' Lott said Monday. > > The Mississippi Republican outlined his proposal at the > beginning of the second day of Senate debate on > legislation designed to curtail the cost of political > campaigns, including a ban on unregulated ``soft money'' > in races for Congress and the White House. > > Supporters of the legislation, proposed by Sens. John > McCain, R-Ariz., and Russell Feingold, D-Wis., > condemned Lott's proposal as a threat designed to > sabotage chances for passage. > > ``I think that some of my colleagues should take care to > watch out for poison pills - those amendments which will > be put in the bill in the hope of killing the bill,'' said > Sen. > Dick Durbin, D-Ill. > > Lott used his prerogative as majority leader to make sure > that no other amendment can be considered until after a > vote on his proposal. Anathema to organized labor, the > proposal is expected to draw the opposition of all 45 > Senate Democrats. > > The proposal would require labor unions to get written > permission in advance from members and nonunion > members alike before using any dues, agency fees or other > similar types of payments for political activities. > > A similar requirement would be imposed on corporations, > but GOP officials said they knew of virtually no existing > instances that would apply. > > No votes are expected in the Senate until next week at the > > earliest. >
