Campaign finance reform focuses on soft money contributions to political candidates. Soft money is funding channeled to a candidate through various groups in an effort to avoid legally mandated limits on donations.
The most prominent legislation proposed in Congress to reform campaign finance laws is the McCain-Feingold Bill, proposed by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis.
McCain's press secretary, Nancy Ives, said that after Sept. 11, the senator decided to focus his attention on immediate issues concerning national security, such as aviation security. "With the events of Sept. 11, (the bill) was put on the back burner (in order to) focus on national security issues."
Ives added that she expects the senator to readdress campaign finance in 2002.
She said the ultimate goal of the McCain-Feingold bill is to eliminate all soft money campaign donations. "It will take away the power of the special interests and restore the voices of the American people who've been shut out because of their lack of big money," Ives said.
Michael Munger, a political science professor at Duke University, said he thinks focus has shifted from the McCain-Feingold bill because the September attacks caused members of Congress to back away from the debate.
Munger said he expects the issue to resurface next year prior to the congressional elections. "It will be brought up in some form because it's a campaign issue."
But Munger added that he thinks the bill will be defeated in the U.S. House of Representatives as long as Republicans control the chamber.
The Republican leadership in the House tabled discussion of the bill in July after Democrats pulled the bill from the floor because they were dissatisfied with the ground rules for the debate.