House lawmakers seek to reform FEC ahead of 2016

A new House bill would overhaul the Federal Election Commission heading into the 2016 elections.

Reps. Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.) and Jim Renacci (R-Ohio), the measure’s authors, said the agency tasked with overseeing campaign finance laws has become ineffective.

“Lately, the commission designed to be the people’s advocate in our elections has seen more gridlock than Congress,” Kilmer said in a statement.

Their bill would reduce the number of commissioners from six to five, as well as require that one member be unaffiliated with either Republicans or Democrats. FEC commissioners would be further limited to serving only one term, instead of serving until a replacement is appointed.

{mosads}FEC Chairwoman Ann Ravel told The New York Times in May that the agency will likely be powerless to stop campaign finance abuses in the 2016 election cycle. The presidential campaign is expected to set a new record in how much candidates spend – possibly as much as $10 billion.

“The likelihood of the laws being enforced is slim,” Ravel said. “I never want to give up, but I’m not under any illusions. People think the FEC is dysfunctional. It’s worse than dysfunctional.”