To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to permit candidates for election for Federal office to designate an individual who will be authorized to disburse funds of the authorized campaign committees of the candidate in the event of the death of the candidate.

I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member for reintroducing this bill and moving it to the floor. Last year we passed this bill at the end of the session, and it went over to the Senate, and the Senate did not have enough time to move the bill.

It has been explained by Chairman Brady and Mr. McCarthy the importance of this bill. There are times in a person's public life that they don't think about the time that they might be called by God. And this happened to my father, as a matter of fact.

I am going to explain the story with my father, just bring it to an end from my standpoint of why I introduced this bill, to help other candidates who are running for office, to help incumbents, as both have said before me.

My father finished his 26 years in the United States House of Representatives in 1993, and he actually died that year, in the fall of that year. And as we found out, he was one of the last Members of Congress that could actually take the campaign account and use it for personal reasons.

As explained by the chairman, Mr. McCarthy, that has changed. Now those funds can be disbursed, given to a charity, can be given to a political party or whatever the individual decides to do.

Well, in my father's situation, the treasurer, a wonderful man, Tom Parrish, a lawyer who was handling my father's campaign account when my father passed, then the attorney in Farmville, North Carolina, where I am from, where my father was from, the attorney who was handling the estate called the treasurer and said we need to transfer those funds to Congressman Walter Jones, Sr.'s account. And the treasurer said, no, this cannot happen. By law, I am responsible for the disbursement and I, by law, cannot transfer the moneys. Anyway, it was resolved.

Now, as we know has been stated, that the campaign account, should a Member of Congress, the United States House or Senate pass on, then the Treasury would be responsible for disbursing those moneys. What this bill would do is allow that candidate or incumbent, sitting Member of the Congress, should that person be called by God, that then the family member that they designate will be able--or a friend, it could be a friend, but the family member would be able to be disburse those moneys knowing the wishes of that individual.

And I want to thank the chairman again, I want to thank Mr. McCarthy on the floor today. I think this is a bill that really will make it easy for a family should that Member die while he or she is serving in the United States House or Senate or be a candidate.

So, Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you very much for moving this bill again. I am going to work the Senate if this should pass the House.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 749) to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to permit candidates for election for Federal office to designate an individual who will be authorized to disburse funds of the authorized campaign committees of the candidate in the event of the death of the candidate.

Mr. Speaker I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous matter on the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 749, a bill to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act. This bill will allow Federal election candidates to designate someone to disburse their campaign funds in the event of their death. The candidate would simply file an appropriate form with the FEC and could also revoke or change the designee at any time.

H.R. 749 will assure candidates for Federal office that the funds raised by their campaign committees will be distributed in accordance with their express wishes after they are deceased.

H.R. 749 is a commonsense fix to the Federal Election Campaign Act. It would provide clear direction to campaign treasurers, who face a wide range of conflicting and confusing State laws. I urge all Members to support this legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

I would also like to thank Walter Jones for this make-sense resolution. I am in favor of this resolution and urge an ``aye'' vote.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

I am pleased to support H.R. 749, which will permit each Federal candidate to designate an individual who, in the event of the candidate's death, will be authorized to make arrangements for the disbursement of campaign funds.

Every private citizen who decides to become a candidate for public office is driven by issues that inspire and motivate them to want to serve. Often, those issues outlive the individuals who campaign for their ideals.

This bill will ensure that every Federal candidate will have the opportunity to appoint a trusted individual to distribute campaign funds after they have passed. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 749.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the author, the distinguished gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones).

I have no other speakers. I would just like to thank the gentleman for his work. I yield back the balance of my time.