Statement on Proposed Legislation To Reconstitute the Federal Election Commission.

ON FEBRUARY 16, I submitted legislation to the Congress which would reconstitute the Federal Election Commission along the lines mandated by the Supreme Court. At that time, the Congress had 2 weeks in which to take affirmative action on this legislation or the Commission would lose most of its powers under the Federal Election Campaign Act. Now, there are only 9 days left for the Congress to act.

I believe that the measure I proposed is the right way to proceed. There is simply no time to consider with sufficient care amendments to the law which are not essential to compliance with the Supreme Court decision. Nor is this the time to introduce other changes and new uncertainties into the law just as the primaries are beginning. I would have very serious reservations about any change in the existing rules under which citizens may be allowed to participate in the 1976 elections, and I urge that the Congress take only the simple and necessary step of reconstituting the Federal Election Commission in an appropriate constitutional manner.