Senate panel to vote on limiting campaign contributions

Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee will meet Wednesday and vote on a constitutional amendment that Democrats have proposed that would allow Congress to regulate campaign financing.

S.J.Res. 19 would propose amending the Constitution of the United States, which would require 38 out of 50 states to ratify the amendment before it could become law — something unlikely to happen.

{mosads}Democrats have been critical of recent Supreme Court decisions that have allowed unlimited campaign contributions. They argue the rulings allow elections to be bought by the highest bidder, leaving the working class without power. But Republicans and a majority of the Supreme Court justices say political donations are protected under the First Amendment as free speech.

On Tuesday, senators on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee will hear from Julián Castro, President Obama’s nominee to be Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). If confirmed, he would replace Shaun Donovan, who is being tapped to lead the Office of Management and Budget.

Details on these and other Senate hearings follow:

Senate Aging

– June 18, “Reduction in Face-to-Face Services at The Social Security Administration”

2:15 p.m., 562 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry

– June 17, “Grow it Here, Make it Here: Creating Jobs through Bio Based Manufacturing”

10 a.m., 328A Russell Senate Office Building

Senate Armed Services

– June 19, “Nominations”

9:30 a.m., 216 Hart Senate Office Building

Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs

– June 17, “Nominations”

10 a.m., 538 Dirksen Senate Office Building

– June 18, “High Frequency Trading’s Impact on the Economy”

10 a.m., 538 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation

– June 17, “Protecting Consumers from False and Deceptive Advertising of Weight-Loss Products”

10 a.m., 253 Russell Senate Office Building

– June 18, “Aggressive E-Cigarette Marketing and Potential Consequences for Youth”

2:30 p.m., 253 Russell Senate Office Building

Senate Energy and Natural Resources

– June 18, “Nominations”

10:30 a.m., 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building

– June 19, “How to harness a game-changing resource for export, domestic consumption, and transportation fuel”

2:30 p.m., 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Environment and Public Works

Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety

– June 18, “Climate Change: The Need to Act Now.”

10 a.m., 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Foreign Relations

– June 17, “Nominations”

3 p.m., 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building

– June 18, “U.S. Policy In Afghanistan and the Regional Implications of the 2014 Transition”

2:15 p.m., 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

– June 18, “The Intelligence Community: Keeping Watch Over Its Contractor Workforce”

10 a.m., 342 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Indian Affairs

-June 18, “S. 1998, A bill to amend the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act”

2:30 p.m., 628 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Judiciary

– June 18, “S.J. Res. 19, A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to contributions and expenditures intended to affect elections”

2:30 p.m., 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building

– June 19, “Nominations”

9:30 a.m., 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building