Mitch Perry
David Jolly’s proposal that would ensure members of Congress and other federal officeholders can’t personally ask individuals for campaign contributions is a winner with the people of Florida.
The Pinellas County Congressman and GOP U.S. Senate candidate’s announced his Stop Act eight days ago, and a St. Pete Polls survey released on Wednesday shows that 72 percent support the bill, with 18 percent opposing, and 10 percent unsure.
In announcing his legislation, Jolly cited outgoing New York Democratic U.S. Rep. Steve Israel, who wrote in a New York Times column that his upcoming retirement makes him feel “liberated from a fundraising regime that’s never been more dangerous to our democracy.” By his calculation, he’d spent more than 4,200 hours on it over a decade and a half.
When asked whether members of Congress should be spending 30 to 40 hours a week on the telephone or in meetings asking for money for their re-election campaigns, an overwhelming 86 percent said no, and only 10 percent said yes.
A similar 84 percent said that elected officials spent too much time campaigning and raising money.
And 87 percent agreed that Congress should spend at least 40 hours a week working in Washington. Jolly proposed legislation last year that would mandate that Congress would work a full 40 hours a week, a proposal that went nowhere.
Florida U.S. Rep. John Mica and North Carolina’s Walter Jones have signed on to the Safe Act as co-sponsors.
Jolly is running in for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Florida this year.
On Tuesday a spokeswoman for one of his opponents, Lt. Gov. Carlos-Lopez Cantera, criticized Jolly for scheduling a campaign appearance for CD 11 candidate Justin Grabelle.
“It’s interesting to see Congressman Jolly as the featured guest at a fundraiser just a few days after swearing off fundraising. This is typical D.C., they say one thing, then do another when they think no one is watching,” said Lopez-Cantera spokeswoman Courtney Alexander.
A Jolly representative responded in kind.
“Rep. Jolly has made clear he will not be engaging in direct fundraising and honors that pledge. The STOP Act bans solicitations by members of Congress but does not prohibit attendance at political events, like the upcoming reception for Justin Grabelle. What voters are tired of is snarky sniping and mudslinging from typical run-of-the-mill politicians, which is why we won’t be commenting further on the Lt. Governor’s petty attack,” said Sarah Bascom, spokeswoman for the Jolly campaign.
