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Proposal Details

Proposal ID	223
Proposal	Creation of National Green Party House and Senatorial campaign committees
Presenter	GPUS CCC, FinCom, GPRI, WAGP
Floor Manager	Marc Sanson
Phase	Closed
Discussion	06/10/2006 - 06/11/2006
Voting	06/12/2006 - 06/18/2006
Result	Adopted
Presens Quorum	32 0.6666
Consens Quorum	58 0.6666 of Yes and No Votes

Background

The Democratic and Republican Parties each have three national committees with high contribution thresholds, in which each individual contributor is allowed to give up to $26,700 annually to each committee. These committees are the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (which campaigns for Democratic House candidates), the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Republican National Committee, the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee (which campaigns for Republican House candidates), and the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

An individual can give more than $26,700 to a national party in a year by giving to two or more of these committee, but cannot give more than $61,400 in the aggregate to all non-candidate political committees in a two-year (odd-year first) period.

All other parties have, at most, one Federal-Election-Commission-recognized national committee, such as the Green National Committee. Other parties are eligible to also have House and senatorial campaign committees. None have exercised that option yet.

The effect of having Green Party House and senatorial campaign committees would be to substantially increase the total amount of money an individual can give in a year to the national party. While an individual can give up to $26,700 to a party’s national committee each year, that individual can give up to $61,400 in a particular year to a national party by giving to the national committee, the House campaign committee, and the Senate campaign committee of that party.

One can argue whether it is a good thing that the older parties are allowed to do this. But, if we are to seriously challenge the two older parties, we have to use the rules that are available, even while we work to change those rules.

Just as the Green National Committee has the theoretical power to do, these committees would be allowed to make much larger direct contributions to Congressional campaigns than the standard individual contribution limit, as well as to make large coordinated expenditure campaigns on behalf of our Congressional candidates. These committees would have wide-ranging powers to spend their money on other party-building activities such as ballot access drives and support for non-federal campaigns.

But, the main point of having these committees is the opportunity to raise a lot more money for the national party and compete with the two ruling parties under the rules they have written.

This proposal was originated by the Coordinated Campaign Committee, which endorsed this proposal and passed it on for consideration by the larger party on May 15, 2006. The Finance Committee then signed on as a co-sponsor on May 15, 2006.

Proposal

1. The Green National Committee hereby calls for the creation of the National Green Party House Campaign Committee. Said committee will be populated originally through an election called by the Steering Committee, and operate under the original bylaws laid out below. This committee will be a separate entity from the Green Party of the United States, with its own treasury accounts, but will be answerable to the Green National Committee in the ways listed in the bylaws detailed below. The Green National Committee recognizes this newly-created committee as the national House campaign committee of the Green Party, and will support efforts for it to achieve recognition as such from the Federal Elections Commission.

2. The Green National Committee hereby calls for the creation of the National Green Party Senatorial Campaign Committee. Said committee will be populated originally through an election called by the Steering Committee, and operate under the original bylaws laid out below. This committee will be a separate entity from the Green Party of the United States, with its own treasury accounts, but will be answerable to the Green National Committee in the ways listed in the bylaws detailed below. The Green National Committee recognizes this newly-created committee as the national Senate campaign committee of the Green Party, and will support efforts for it to achieve recognition as such from the Federal Elections Commission.

3. If the Green National Committee does not have standard rules in place for holding ranked-voting elections at the time an election is called to populate the House or Senatorial campaign committee, then the Steering Committee will conduct said election under the rules that were used to elect the Delegate Apportionment Committee.

Original bylaws of the National Green Party House Campaign Committee

I. Purpose:

The National Green Party House Campaign Committee (NGPHCC) exists to promote the campaigns of Green Party candidates running for the United States House of Representatives, to support ballot access drives to enable such campaigns, and to support other party-building activities.

II. Composition:

A. The voting membership of the NGPHCC shall consist of
(i) All members of the United States House of Representatives who were elected to that office as nominees of state parties affiliated with the Green Party of the United States (GPUS); and
(ii) Nine additional members, nominated by members of the Green National Committee (GNC) of GPUS, and elected by the GNC, using the standard rules for proportional elections set by the GNC. The committee members elected by the GNC shall serve until their successors are elected, but in no case may serve more than fourteen months without standing for re-election. It will be the responsibility of the NGPHCC to call for elections and of the Steering Committee of GPUS to conduct such elections.
B. The Treasurer shall be appointed by the NGPHCC, and serve at the pleasure of the NGPHCC. If the Treasurer is not an elected member of the NGPHCC, then the Treasurer shall not have a vote.
C. Vacancies on the NGPHCC shall be filled through nomination and proportional election by the GNC.
D. Any person who is a member of the National Green Party Senatorial Campaign Committee or of the Steering Committee of GPUS may not simultaneously be a member of the NGPHCC.

III. Conduct of business:

A. A simple majority of the current membership is required for meeting process motions and removal of the Treasurer.
B. A 2/3 majority of the current membership is required to make all other decisions.

IV. Amendments to these bylaws:

Amendments to these bylaws may be proposed by a two-thirds majority of the NGPHCC. Such proposed bylaw amendments must then be ratified by a simple majority of the GNC in order to take effect.

-- End bylaws of the National Green Party House Campaign Committee --

Original bylaws of the National Green Party Senatorial Campaign Committee

I. Purpose:

The National Green Party Senatorial Campaign Committee (NGPSCC) exists to promote the campaigns of Green Party candidates running for the United States Senate, to support ballot access drives to enable such campaigns, and to support other party-building activities.

II. Composition:

A. The voting membership of the NGPSCC shall consist of
(i) All members of the United States Senate who were elected to that office as nominees of state parties affiliated with the Green Party of the United States (GPUS); and
(ii) Seven additional members, nominated by members of the Green National Committee (GNC) of GPUS, and elected by the GNC, using the standard rules for proportional elections set by the GNC. The committee members elected by the GNC shall serve until their successors are elected, but in no case may serve more than fourteen months without standing for re-election. It will be the responsibility of the NGPSCC to call for elections and of the Steering Committee of GPUS to conduct such elections.
B. The Treasurer shall be appointed by the NGPSCC, and serve at the pleasure of the NGPSCC. If the Treasurer is not an elected member of the NGPSCC, then the Treasurer shall not have a vote.
C. Vacancies on the NGPSCC shall be filled through nomination and proportional election by the GNC.
D. Any person who is a member of the National Green Party House Campaign Committee or of the Steering Committee of GPUS may not simultaneously be a member of the NGPSCC.

III. Conduct of business:

A. A simple majority of the current membership is required for meeting process motions and removal of the Treasurer.
B. A 2/3 majority of the current membership is required to make all other decisions.

IV. Amendments to these bylaws:

Amendments to these bylaws may be proposed by a two-thirds majority of the NGPSCC. Such proposed bylaw amendments must then be ratified by a simple majority of the GNC in order to take effect.

-- End bylaws of the National Green Party Senatorial Campaign Committee --

Resources

None. These committees are expected to be a large revenue source for national party building.

CONTACT: Brent White

References

Code of Federal Regulations, Title 11, Chapter 1, Part 110
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_06/11cfrv1_06.html
Contribution limits 2005-2006
http://www.fec.gov/pages/brochures/contriblimits.shtml

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