Democrats Pushed to Raise 'Breathtaking' $154 Million for Party

Publication: Bloomberg

Laura Litvan
November 14, 2007

Representative Niki Tsongas has been in the U.S. House for less than a month, winning a special election for a vacant Massachusetts seat, and already she has marching orders to find $104,000 to help other Democrats.

That's small change, though, compared with her Massachusetts colleague, Barney Frank, who heads the Financial Services Committee. Like other powerful House chairmen, Frank is expected to come up with at least $1.5 million to help elect Democrats to the chamber.

House Democrats, eager to hold on to their new majority in the 2008 elections, are seeking to raise a record $154 million for the party from incumbent lawmakers -- more than four times the amount Republicans are trying to collect.

An Oct. 24 tally sheet obtained by Bloomberg News outlines goals for each lawmaker. Together, they are being pressed to transfer $50 million in "dues'' from their re-election war chests to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and to raise another $104 million from outside donors.

"It's breathtaking,'' said Representative Allen Boyd of Florida, who is being asked to produce $450,000 in dues and donations for the party because he serves on the Appropriations Committee, which controls government expenditures.

The fund-raising demands reflect the party's power structure. Leaders such as Speaker Nancy Pelosi are expected to give the most and newcomers including Tsongas, the widow of Massachusetts Senator Paul Tsongas, the least.

Pelosi, who joined with other leaders in setting the goals for the House's 237 Democratic lawmakers and non-voting delegates, is to raise a total of $25.8 million. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland and Majority Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina are each expected to produce a total of $3.3 million.

Added Importance

Funds transferred from members' campaign accounts to the party committees have taken on added importance since Congress in 2002 banned unlimited donations to national parties. The law doesn't prohibit candidates from raising money and transferring it to their parties in unlimited amounts. And, unlike the banned "soft money,'' these donations can be used directly to help elect specific Democratic candidates.

The demands are creating cozier relationships between lawmakers and special interests, said Bill Allison, a senior fellow at the Sunlight Foundation, a Washington-based watchdog group.

"The fact that they're raising so much money by interests before their committees is something the public should be concerned about,'' Allison said.

'Winner's Premium'

The National Republican Congressional Committee has a much- smaller goal this two-year election cycle of $33 million, including dues from members and all other funds raised, said Representative Tom Cole of Oklahoma, the chairman. Cole said he is concerned his party is lagging behind.

"Far be it for me to chastise them for being successful,'' Cole said of the Democrats' goal. "There is a winner's premium when you win the majority.''

Doug Thornell, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, declined to comment on the party's fund raising. "The DCCC has a policy of not publicly discussing our dues program,'' Thornell said.

That program calls for chief deputy whips to transfer $300,000 of their war chests to the DCCC and convince donors to give another $500,000.

Chairmen of the most powerful committees -- Appropriations, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Ways and Means and Rules -- are supposed to pay $500,000 in dues and raise another $1 million for the DCCC. Members of those panels must each contribute $450,000.

Democrats Grumbling

Heads of other committees such as the Judiciary and Oversight panels have a combined goal of $500,000, and subcommittee chairmen are asked to contribute $250,000. Members of those committees are expected to come up with $200,000.

About 90 House Democrats hadn't made any dues contribution as of Oct. 24, including Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey and Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell.

Some Democrats are grumbling about Dingell and Obey declining to contribute their own campaign donations toward the party dues. Dingell has raised $420,680 directly for the party and Obey $17,000, according to the Oct. 24 DCCC document.

"With all due respect, it's none of your business,'' Obey said about his party-committee fund raising. "It's none of anybody's business.''

Everybody Must Give

Some chairmen, such as Frank and Charles Rangel, who heads the Ways and Means panel, have equaled or exceeded their goals. Leaders such as Pelosi and Hoyer are well on the way. Rangel of New York, whose goal was $500,000, has paid $600,000, the document showed. He's raised another $298,000 directly for the DCCC. Frank has paid his dues in full and raised another $500,150.

Pelosi of California has already paid $600,000 toward her $800,000 dues goal and has raised $13.7 million from outside donors. Hoyer has met $2.57 million of his $3.3 million total target. Clyburn has come up with a total of $1.19 million.

Chief deputy whips John Lewis of Georgia and Maxine Waters of California hadn't paid dues to the DCCC to fulfill their $300,000 goals for the election cycle, according to the DCCC tally sheet. Lewis said he intends to pay, while Waters didn't respond to a request for comment.

Representative Elijah Cummings, a Maryland Democrat, said a lack of participation gets noticed.

"It would be more encouraging to members to give if they saw everybody, particularly those who have the best ability to raise, giving,'' said Cummings, who must come up with $150,000 to meet his dues goal.

Exceeding Goal

Among Democrats, seniority and committee chairmanships aren't the only criteria determining donation demands. Representatives Joe Crowley of New York and Allyson Schwartz of Pennsylvania are chairing a DCCC outreach effort to business donors. Crowley is being asked to raise $6 million for the party committee from donors, and Schwartz is to raise $5 million, according to the tally sheet.

Party fund raising is used by congressional leaders to help determine committee assignments. The DCCC document shows that two lawmakers who were overlooked this year to head the House Intelligence Committee -- Representatives Alcee Hastings of Florida and Jane Harman of California -- haven't donated dues. Hastings said he'll pay after primary season, and Harman declined to comment.

"I've paid all my dues in all past cycles,'' said Harman, whose relationship with Pelosi was further strained over the panel chairmanship. "I just have no comment.''

Cummings said the dues request is the cost of trying to expand the party's 233-200 voting majority next year and avoid returning to minority status in the House.

"Democrats, particularly those of us who have been in the minority, don't want to go back there,'' said Cummings, who has transferred $29,000 to the congressional campaign committee. "The taste of the majority is so sweet.''