Ranking Republican on Elections Committee Calls on Democrats to Listen to American Voters and Cease Legislative Push to Force Taxpayers to Foot Bill for Political Campaigns

WASHINGTON - Today, the Committee on House Administration's Ranking Republican Dan Lungren, R-Calif., issued the following statement after California voters rejected Proposition 15, a state proposition to provide millions in public funds to candidates running for secretary of state:

"Yesterday, residents of this country's most populous state overwhelmingly rejected a proposal that would force taxpayers to fund political campaigns. And since 1980, the percentage of Americans opting to donate to the presidential public financing program has declined from 28% to 8%.

"American taxpayers have spoken, and they rightfully do not want to pick up the tab for our campaigns. Yet Democrat proponents of the Fair Elections Now Act continue to push the unpopular initiative and insist that Americans pay for the political campaigns of federal candidates at an estimated cost of over a billion dollars each year.

"It's time that Democrats start listening to American voters and stop trying to force them to pay for political campaigns"

For more information, please contact the Committee press office at (202) 225-8281.

###