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OCR Page 1 of 11FILE No 304 02/23 '98 17:57 ID:NEA GOV. RELATIONS
202 822 7309
PAGE 2
nea
NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
Robert E Chase, Presudent
1201 16th Street, N.W.
Reg Weaver vice President
Washington, D.C. 20036-3290
Dennis Van Rockel, Secretary beasurer
(202) 822-7000 Fax (202) 822-7974
Don Canneron, Executive Pirector
Executive Office
February 23, 1998
PVI
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator:
On behalf of the 2.3 million-member National Education Association (NEA), we urge you to support
meaningful campaign finance reform and to reject proposals that would silence teachers, school
employees, and other working families from participating in the political and public policy arena.
NEA supports the amendment that Senators McCain and Feingold will offer, and strongly opposes the
so-called "paycheck protection" proposal. In addition, we oppose the Snowe-Jeffords amendment
restricting issue ads.
The McCain-Feingold plan contains important reforms, such as banning unregulated and excessive
"soft money," ensuring greater disclosure of contributions and expenditures, and strengthening
enforcement of federal election laws. While NEA strongly supports requiring full disclosure of
sponsors and contributors to issue ads, we are concerned about McCain-Feingold's provisions that
would curb the ability of organizations to utilize such advocacy methods within certain periods prior
to elections. Despite this concern, we believe that McCain-Feingold merits your support.
We oppose the Snowe-Jeffords proposal, because it would apply the issue ad restrictions solely to
unions and for-profit corporations. This unfairly tilts the playing field in the political arena. allowing
many opponents of public education to promote their views while limiting the NEA's ability to
advocate for children and education.
The major threat, however, to the free speech and freedom of association rights of teachers and other
school employees is the "paycheck protection" proposal. NEA opposes this dangerous and misguided
legislation for the following reasons:
It is based on the false premise that union membership is coercive and that members are
forced to pay money for political activities. Membership in NEA is completely voluntary.
Further, NEA members democratically determine the organization's positions on legislation
and policy. In a limited number of areas, based on state law. school employees who choose
not to join pay a reduced fee to the local association and its parent state and national
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