The Nation - News from Nov. 6, 1985

The Senate Rules and Administration Committee opened hearings on a bill that would curb the power of political action committees and clean up what Sen. Gary Hart (D-Colo.) called “the toxic waste of American politics.” The bill, by Sens. Charles McC. Mathias Jr. (R-Md.) and Paul Simon (D-Ill.) seeks to limit the influence of PACs by providing for public funding of Senate races. The only outright opposition came from Sen. Jake Garn (R-Utah). “I don’t think that is the solution to the problem,” he said.