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The Human Needs Report is the Coalition on Human Needs' newsletter on national policy issues affecting low-income and vulnerable populations. It is published every other week while Congress is in session.
Article from the April 9, 2004 editionof the CHN Human NeedsReport: A children's advocacy organization places an advertisement to support legislation sponsored by a senator up for reelection. A nonprofit organization embarks on a nonpartisan voter registration drive. An advocacy group releases an analysis critical of the President's budget. What do all these efforts have in common?
They could all be prohibited or severely constrained by new rules proposed by the Federal Election Commission. The rules would sweepingly expand the definition of political committees to include organizations that spent more than $50,000 this year or in any of the past four years to "promote, support, attack or oppose" a federal candidate's positions, conducted voter registration within 120 days of an election, or engaged in get-out-the vote activities. Organizations redefined as political committees would be subject to major fundraising restrictions. They could not receive support from the main sources of funding for nonprofit organizations: funding from foundations, corporations, or labor unions, and individual contributions of more than $5,000.
The proposed rules by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) are intended to implement the McCain-Feingold campaign finance legislation. According to the Coalition to Protect Nonprofit Advocacy, the rules are written so broadly as to severely restrict the free speech rights of many nonprofit organizations. The Coalition drafted comments that were signed by 672 nonprofit organizations from around the country and submitted by the April 9 deadline. Many more organizations across the political spectrum have submitted separate comments to the FEC. The FEC plans to hold public hearings on the proposed rules on April 14 and 15, at 10:00 a.m., 999 E Street, NW in Washington, 9th floor meeting room.
Nonprofit groups are extremely concerned that these rules would strangle their ability to support or oppose federal legislation if bills were introduced by elected officials up for reelection. Expenditures to support or oppose budget proposals submitted by a President running for reelection, for example, could be restricted or prohibited, even if the nonprofit only discussed the provisions of the budget and said nothing about the President's candidacy. In addition, voter registration or education campaigns that are strictly nonpartisan in nature could no longer be funded by foundation grants.
The comments submitted by nonprofit groups also asked that the FEC not make such major changes in the definitions of political committees or allowable expenditures in the heat of a political campaign season.
A briefing about these proposed rules for members of Congress and staff is being sponsored by several nonprofit organizations on Tuesday, April 13, 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m., in room 121, Cannon House Office Building. It is open to interested advocates. Co-sponsors include the Alliance for Justice, Charity Lobbying in the Public Interest, the National Council of Nonprofit Associations, OMB Watch, the National Committee for Responsible Philanthropy, and the Washington Council of Agencies.
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