Friday, April 08, 2011
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) may soon be virtually leaderless due to a lack of nominees put forth by President Barack Obama and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
By the end of April, five of the FEC’s six commissioners will be gone because their terms will have expired. Obama is entitled to choose anyone he wants for the commission, although historically the commissioners have been split between three Democrats and three Republicans.
But Obama hasn’t even nominated his three, and McConnell hasn’t offered any names either. And even if the president were to appoint someone, their confirmation would be filibustered in the Senate.
In theory, the FEC performs important tasks. Its mission is to “prevent corruption in the Federal campaign process by administering, enforcing, and formulating policy with respect to Federal campaign finance statutes.” In February the FEC submitted a budget for FY 2012 that exceeded $67 million, most of which goes to pay the salaries of its 375 employees.
Government watchdog groups are beside themselves over the FEC being left in limbo. “Whether there is any constructive movement [at the FEC] is at the president’s doorstep,” Meredith McGehee, policy director at The Campaign Legal Center, said. “I don’t think that he can evade responsibility any longer. He’s got to make a choice of whether or not the rhetoric he believes in matches the inner workings of his government.”
The FEC has struggled to get anything done even before now, due to the 3-3 partisan split. This situation has allowed violators of federal campaign finance laws to go unpunished because of the commission’s inability to approve fines. The commission also has not moved to make changes in federal regulations in the wake of the landmark Citizens United case in which the U.S. Supreme Court threw out restrictions on campaign contributions by corporations and unions in federal elections.
Barring any action from Obama and McConnell, the six sitting commissioners will continue in their positions despite their terms having expired.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
More FEC Terms Expire, but Replacements Unlikely (by Alex Knott, Roll Call)
Federal Election Commission Faces Partisan Clash over Secret Campaign Ad Donors (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)
Federal Election Commission: $64 Million to Do Nothing ((by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)
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