Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy says he'd rather see the Congress craft a constitutional amendment to overturn recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions on campaign finance than have states call a constitutional convention to address the issue.
The comments from the Vermont Democrat and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee follow his home state's Legislature becoming the first in the country to call for a constitutional convention to amend the country's founding document.
Leahy says he worries a constitutional convention could stray onto other issues ranging from gutting environmental regulation to restricting voting rights.
He has called a June 3 hearing of the Judiciary Committee to consider an amendment on campaign finance proposed by Colorado Senator Mark Udall. Leahy doubts Congress will pass an amendment, but he wants to start the conversation.
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