Bill Text: MI HR0334 | 2011-2012 | 96th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: A resolution to memorialize the Congress of the United States to end the federal grants that support presidential nominating conventions.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 3-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-11-28 - Referred To Committee On Redistricting And Elections [HR0334 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2011-HR0334-Introduced.html
Rep. Somerville offered the following resolution:
House Resolution No. 334.
A resolution to memorialize the Congress of the United States to end the federal grants that support presidential nominating conventions.
Whereas, The federal government provides millions of taxpayer dollars to the major political parties to hold lavish presidential nominating conventions. In 2012, federal grants from the Presidential Election Campaign Fund provided the Democratic and Republican parties with grants of nearly $18 million each for their presidential nominating conventions. Since 1976, over $220 million of taxpayer dollars has been directed to the major parties; and
Whereas, In an age of trillion dollar national debt, it is a frivolous waste of taxpayer money to fund conventions that are more political show than political debate. Each year the debt grows by more than $1 trillion, but every four years, millions of federal dollars is still spent on weeklong parties, extravagant hotels, speech coaches, makeup artists, political consultants, gift bags, and other perks; and
Whereas, Federal funding is no longer needed for presidential nominating conventions. The major political parties are more than capable of raising private and corporate contributions for these conventions and already cover the majority of costs. In 1980, federal grants accounted for 95 percent of convention funding, whereas in 2008, federal grants only covered 23 percent of convention costs. Public financing of nominating conventions is an outdated system that should be ended; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we memorialize the Congress of the United States to end the federal grants that support presidential nominating conventions; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.
