When you fill out your federal income tax return you have an option to choose whether or not you want to support public financing of elections. Almost forty years ago, Republican President, Richard Nixon, resigned to avoid impeachment for his crimes surrounding the Watergate break-in involving campaign finance irregularities. Public financing of elections was established to help lessen the impact of dirty money influencing politics. The Republican party had decided that Americans do not deserve that freedom. Taxpayer dollars for candidates that are not funded by a huge corporate money machine, thanks to Citizens United, could interfere with Republican intent to establish one party rule.

The Republican-controlled U.S. House voted to eliminate public financing of presidential campaigns almost four decades after the Watergate scandal that led to its adoption.

Today’s 239-160 vote was primarily along party lines. Republicans said the U.S. can’t afford the program in an era of trillion-dollar budget deficits. The legislation would save $617 million over 10 years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

“In times when government has no choice but to do more with less, voting to end the Presidential Election Campaign Fund should be a no-brainer,” said House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, a Virginia Republican, during debate.

Backers of the campaign finance laws, who include President Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, said the solution is to amend the law rather than eliminate it.

“When enough money is provided, it works,” said Lisa Gilbert, deputy director of Public Citizen’s Congress Watch, an advocacy group that supports public financing of elections. “It makes no sense to do away with one of the few checks on corporate money and corrupting money that we’ve had in place over the years.”

Senate Bill

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, introduced the legislation in his chamber today. “In a time of exploding deficits and record debt, the last thing the American people want right now is to provide what amounts to welfare for politicians,” McConnell said in a statement.

The legislation is unlikely to advance in the Democratic- controlled Senate… [emphasis added]