Campaign Legal Center Wants FCC to Insure Access to Airwaves by Candidates

In advance of Tuesday's (Feb. 2) hearing on the Supreme Court's decision in the Citizen's United vs. Federal Election Commission case, the Campaign Legal Center has recommended some legislative responses, including getting the Federal Communications Commission to insure access to airwaves by candidates as part of the public interest obligations of the digital age.

The hearing is in the Senate Rules Committee, which is chaired by Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), who was fiercely critical of the decision two weeks ago in which the Supreme Court ruled that corporations and unions can use direct treasury funds to pay for campaign ads on cable, broadcast or satellite. In a letter to Schumer, the group, which supported the FEC with two amicus briefs, said it was critical that Congress move swiftly to "mitigate the damage." Among its suggestions are to strengthen the definition of coordinated vs. independent expenditures and give candidates more access to the "publicly-owned airwaves" by making the lowest unit rate provision "meaningful."