THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, July 23, 1996 TAG: 9607230224
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: RALEIGH LENGTH: 64 lines
Walter Jones Jr., who pushed tougher campaign finance law while a state legislator, says he's too busy with other challenges to take up the issue as a congressman.
``I've got too many other things going,'' Jones said last week, listing issues such as protecting North Carolina's coastal fisheries to looking out for the military bases in his district. ``Because of my committees, I get pulled in so many other directions.''
Jones, R-N.C., isn't alone. Many of the 86 freshman members - 73 Republicans and 13 Democrats - called for campaign-finance reform during their campaigns. And many have cooled on the idea since coming to Congress, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported Monday.
Since taking office in 1995, Jones has received about 40 percent of his campaign money from political action committees, above the House average of 25 percent. But he says his reliance on PAC money didn't affect his decision not to sign on as a co-sponsor of a campaign finance bill sponsored by Rep. Linda Smith of Washington.
``It has no influence at all,'' Jones said. ``Most of the PACs that I think contributed to my campaign are PACs that want to see a balanced budget, people that think we need less government in our lives. Most of the PACS that give to me have the same philosophy that I have.''
Jones has been among the most active of the state's five freshman House members in writing legislation. He has a bill on wetlands. The House Judiciary Committee just approved his measure stepping up prosecution of war criminals. He's preparing legislation to block frivolous spending by Cabinet secretaries.
But he's offered nothing like his slew of reform bills in the General Assembly between 1985 and 1991. Those measures set up partial public financing of statewide races, forced lobbyists to disclose which lawmakers they entertain and how much they spend doing it, and restricted lobbyists' campaign contributions during legislative sessions in nonelection years.
Jones gained a squeaky-clean image in Raleigh as he picked up accolades from editorial writers and gurus of good government. Patricia Watts, head of Common Cause in North Carolina, said he was ``willing to stick his neck out and work for what he believes in.''
When he got to Washington last year, Jones said campaign finance reform would be a priority, but it has not yet risen to the top of his legislative agenda.
``It's just a matter of time,'' Jones said. ``It's not a lack of interest. The same commitment is there.''
Smith wants a complete overhaul of the present system to abolish political action committees, ban ``soft money'' contributions to parties and provide subsidized advertising and mail rates for office-seekers who meet spending limits.
The GOP-controlled Congress did pass fairly tough laws last year eliminating gifts from lobbyists to lawmakers and requiring more disclosure of lobbying activities. But changing how candidates get and spend campaign money is proving more elusive.
Jones said he knew from his days of writing campaign laws in Raleigh how hard it is to overhaul a complex system that blurs the line between special interests and legitimate political activism.
``You're trying to change a system that's been in place for a long time,'' he said. ``If you want to change it, you take incremental steps forward. It's just going to have to be changed in stages.'' ILLUSTRATION: Walter Jones Jr. by CNB