Word: webers
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...year, 56 members of Congress have announced that they will not seek re-election in November, the largest voluntary departure since World War II. Among those who have decided not to return are Democratic Senators Tim Wirth of Colorado and Kent Conrad of North Dakota and Republican Congressman Vin Weber of Minnesota. At a round-table session, Wirth, Conrad and Weber discussed their reasons for leaving and how their attitudes toward government and public service were changed by their experiences in Washington. Excerpts...
...WEBER: I question the impact of special-interest money on policy. The contribution limit for a special-interest group (($5,000)) has not changed in the 12 years that I've been here. That means the value of each contribution has eroded considerably. So how can we argue it's an increasing problem...
...WEBER: But I think the impact of special-interest groups is greater when they're organizing voters in your district. Take, for example, ((groups like)) the American Association of Retired Persons or the National Federation of Independent Businesses. Their ability to organize makes them more of a power than the amount of a check they might write. Yet I'm sure none of us want to curtail the ability of people to organize and express themselves...
...WEBER: Ironically, technology puts us closer to our constituents than earlier Congresses were. It used to be that not many groups could just pick up and come to Washington. Now every organized group comes at least once a year. There was a time when members of Congress couldn't get back to their districts every weekend, and that was probably a good thing. Now you're expected to be back very often. Technology and transportation have made it possible for us to be much closer to our constituents, and I'm not sure it's doing us any good...
...WEBER: I think the erosion of the political parties is to blame for much of what's wrong. Certainly, parties were once corrupt and needed reform. But now they are unable to play the role they should play -- as filters between special-interest groups and individual officeholders. I think you need to try to strengthen the parties...