Campaign Reform Act of 2006

H.R. 5281, the Campaign Reform Act of 2006, proposes a system for the public financing of elections for the U.S. House of Representatives. Under this bill, candidates who meet certain eligibility requirements would receive federal matching funds for small-dollar donations they collect, up to a maximum of $175,000 per campaign. The goal of the legislation is to provide an alternative funding source for candidates, potentially reducing their reliance on large private donors and special interest groups. For citizens, this would mean that small individual contributions to a candidate’s campaign could be doubled by the government, increasing the relative influence of everyday voters in the electoral process.