Date: Wed, 29 Jun 1994 17:39:11 -0400
Subject: Spend Camapign Warchests to Reduce Federal Deficit

Congressional Reform Briefings               June 29, 1994

NEWS RELEASE
                               
For Immediate Release:        For More Information Contact:
Wednesday, June 29, 1994      CAP: Gary Ruskin (202) 296-2787
                              UWSA: Sharon Holman (214) 450-8803
                     
UWSA AND CAP URGE RETIRING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO 
DONATE CAMPAIGN WARCHESTS TO REDUCE FEDERAL DEFICIT

     Washington, D.C. and Dallas, TX -- Calling it "the honorable
thing to do" with unspent campaign funds, United We Stand America
(UWSA) and the Congressional Accountability Project (CAP) today
urged retiring members of Congress to contribute excess campaign
funds to the Federal Treasury to reduce the federal budget
deficit.

     According to the most recent data available from the Federal
Election Commission, the 39 retiring members of Congress who are
not currently seeking other elected office have $5,689,633 in
campaign accounts. 

     "We are calling on our retiring elected public servants to
do a public service -- help cut the federal debt by donating your
campaign coffers to the federal treasury," said CAP Director Gary
Ruskin.

     According to Sharon Holman, spokesperson for United We Stand
America, "we hope that retiring members of Congress will make a
personal commitment to reducing the federal deficit by turning
their campaign money over to the federal treasury."

     Nine retiring senators have a total of $3,574,160 in
campaign accounts, according to the most recent information
available from the Federal Election Commission.  Thirty retiring
House members have a total of $2,115,473 in their campaign
coffers.  As of the March 31st campaign filings, the three
retiring members of Congress with the largest campaign warchests
were Senator George Mitchell (D-ME) with $1,568,318, Senator John
Danforth (R-MO) with $654,340, and Senator Donald Riegle (D-MI)
with $514,608.

     According to the House Ethics Manual, federal law "allows
campaign funds [of retiring members of Congress] to be donated to
charities... to be contributed to any national, state, or local
committee of a political party, or to be used for 'any other
lawful purpose.'"  In addition, "excess campaign funds may be
invested for use in a future political campaign."

     Retiring members of Congress are no longer allowed to
convert campaign funds to personal accounts.  However, members of
Congress who were elected before 1980 and retired before January
3, 1993 are allowed to transfer campaign money to personal
accounts.  Last year, according to Roll Call magazine, nine
members of Congress converted almost $1.54 million to personal
accounts.   Ten members of Congress shifted more than $2.75
million in leftover funds to their own charitable trusts last
year.  Because personal foundations have limited disclosure
requirements, conversion of excess campaign funds to a personal
foundation hides the final disposition of these campaign funds.

     According to the U.S. Department of Treasury, the public
debt was $4.601 trillion on Monday, June 27, 1994.

     United We Stand America is a nonpartisan, educational
nationwide citizens' action organization founded by Ross Perot. 
The Congressional Accountability Project is a part of Public
Citizen, founded by Ralph Nader.

  -30-

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
     Call your retiring members of Congress to urge them to
donate their campaign warchests to reduce the federal debt.  The
congressional switchboard phone number is (202) 224-3121
Retiring members of Congress include:

Senate:
David Boren (D-OK)
John Danforth (R-MO)
Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ)
David Durenberger (R-MN)
Harlan Mathews (D-TN)
Howard Metzenbaum (D-OH)
George Mitchell (D-ME)
Donald Riegle (D-MI)
Malcolm Wallop (R-WY)

House:
Mike Andrews (D-TX-25)
Douglas Applegate (D-OH-18)
Jim Bacchus (D-FL-15)
Lucien Blackwell (D-PA-2)
Butler Derrick (D-SC-3)
Don Edwards (D-CA-16)
Hamilton Fish (R-NY-19)
William Ford (D-MI-13)
Fred Grandy (R-IA-5)
William Hughes (D-NJ-2)
Earl Hutto (D-FL-1)
Mike Kopetski (D-OR-5)
Tom Lewis (R-FL-16)
Marilyn Lloyd (D-TN-3)
Romano Mazzoli (D-KY-3)
Al McCandless (R-CA-44)
Alex McMillan (R-NC-9)
Robert Michel (R-IL-18)
Austin Murphy (D-PA-20)
Stephen Neal (D-NC-5)
Timothy Penny (D-MN-1)
J.J. Pickle (D-TX-10)
J. Roy Rowland (D-GA-8)
George Sangmeister (D-IL-11)
Philip Sharp (D-IN-2)
Bob Smith (R-OR-2)
Al Swift (D-WA-2)
Tim Valentine (D-NC-2)
Craig Washington (D-TX-18)


Gary Ruskin
Congressional Accountability Project	|   Internet:	gary@essential.org