Rep. Jolly: Fundraising is the Main Business and First Priority in Congress
Rep. David Jolly, (R-Fla.), discussed his proposed legislation to stop direct solicitation by members of Congress Monday on the FOX Business Network. Congress members reportedly spend as much as 30 hours a week making fundraising calls in an effort to raise at least $18,000 per day.
“We all know about the amount of money in politics. This is about the amount of time it takes to raise that money and the fact that you have a part-time Congress in a full-time world spending all their days shaking down the American people for money and not doing the job they are there for,” Jolly told Stuart Varney.
Jolly says it is a bipartisan issue that needs to be addressed.
“It is the only thing Republicans and Democrats agree on in Congress; that fundraising is the main business and the first priority.”
He explained that along with introducing the bill, he is also walking the walk by pledging to no longer directly solicit contributions, even if it costs him his Senatorial bid.
“That’s the shame of the system right now, that money buys politics, money buys votes. I took the pledge, when I introduced the legislation, I took the pledge to no longer directly solicit contributions. I believe in this, I’m putting it all on the line, begging the American people to push Congress to pass the Stop Act. If at the end of the day I lose an election because I got outspent, well my wife and I are just fine with that,” Jolly said.
The congressman weighed in on the amount of time soliciting contributions takes away from the job members of Congress were elected to do.
“Every hour spent doing something other than your day job, you’re cheating the taxpayers. They’re paying you $174,000 – do your job.”