Statement of U.S. PIRG Democracy Advocate Adam Lioz
U.S. PIRG applauds Sens.
McCain, Feingold, and Durbin for introducing the Our Democracy, Our Airwaves
Act of 2003, an important step towards opening up federal elections to grassroots
candidates.
The cost of campaigns has
skyrocketed in recent years, pricing most average Americans out of the race.
High contribution limits and a lack of spending limits or clean resources have
turned federal elections into battles for dollars, rather than contests of ideas.
Grassroots candidates who cannot or will not appeal to the small fraction of
Americans who write large checks have their messages drowned out by opponents
backed by big money donors.
Our nation's most important
leadership positions are on the auction block, for sale to the highest bidder.
Meanwhile, private broadcasters
earn billions of dollars every year using our public airwaves. The broadcasters
pay no rent for the use of this public good, and are supposed to operate our
airwaves "in the public interest." Instead, they give short shrift
to the political process in their news coverage and gauge candidates looking
to advertise during campaign season.
Our democracy is threatened,
and taking control of our airwaves is part of the answer.
In order to truly level
the playing field, we should limit campaign spending and set contribution limits
at a level that average Americans can afford. However, the Our Democracy,
Our Airwaves bill will help in three specific ways. First, providing free
airtime vouchers to qualified candidates will enable legitimate contenders to
get their messages out without depending upon special interests and wealthy
donors. Second, requiring broadcasters to provide substantive coverage of campaigns
will help educate the public and give candidates more opportunities to reach
voters without paying for 30 second TV ads. Finally, improving the rules for
selling airtime to candidates will ensure that candidates' resources won't be
drained unnecessarily by excessively high advertising costs during campaign
season.
The House did well to reject
the FCC's massive giveaway of media ownership rights to powerful corporations.
Now Congress must address the other major way in which broadcasters are neglecting
their obligations to the public interest.
The people own the airwaves.
Our lawmakers should make them work for our democracy.
U.S. PIRG is the national
advocacy office for the state Public Interest Research Groups. State PIRGs are
nonprofit, nonpartisan public interest advocacy groups.
