OMB Watch has urged Reps. Christopher Shays (R-CT) and Marty Meehan (D-MA) to strengthen the portion of their bill dealing with exceptions to the ban on broadcast "issue advocacy" during an election cycle. The bill would allow the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to make rules exempting these activities, but does not require the FEC to act. On January 24 a discharge petition to bypass leadership of the House of Representatives and bring the Shays-Meehan campaign finance bill (H.R. 2356) to the floor got the last 4 of 218 signatures needed to bring the legislation back to life. It had been in limbo since last July, when the House rejected a procedural rule that campaign finance reform advocates said would have unfairly limited debate on the bill. Since 1967 only 11 bills have successfully used this tactic. The bill is now likely to come up in the next few weeks - probably the week of February 25 -- since House Majority Leader Richard Armey (R-TX) stated he would bring up the bill "in an expeditious and cordial fashion" now that the discharge petition succeeded. He still remains opposed to the Shays-Meehan measure, saying "there is nothing in here that does anything but turn these left-wing varmints loose on America." OMB Watch has urged Reps. Christopher Shays (R-CT) and Marty Meehan (D-MA) to strengthen the portion of their bill dealing with exceptions to the ban on broadcast "issue advocacy" during an election cycle. While an exception allowing nonprofits to air candidate debates and forums was included, other nonpartisan, non-electoral communications, such as grassroots lobbying calls to action and get-out-the-vote messages, could still become illegal. The bill would allow the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to make rules exempting these activities, but does not require the FEC to act. Reform advocates want to avoid any major differences with the McCain-Feingold bill, which passed the Senate last year, so that a conference committee can be avoided. They fear that the bill could be gutted or stalled if it goes back to the Senate for further consideration. However, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has said he will insist on a conference, and predicts that Sens. McCain and Feingold will not have the 60 votes necessary to avoid it. In a statement issued January 22, the White House said the President hopes that a bill passes and that Congress will "send him something he can sign." Bush has also said he believes soft money contributions to political parties needs to be abolished. The fact that the President is not threatening to veto campaign finance legislation means the House is likely to give the issues greater scrutiny in the debate and amendment process than it has in the past. According to McConnell, the White House will weigh in during a House-Senate conference. For more information, see this summary of the issues that will be debated, as well as the bill's prospects. The OMB Watch site also provides information and tools for contacting Congress on this issue.