Washington, D.C.—Campaign finance watchdog Public Campaign responded to reports that Majority Leader Harry Reid (R-NV) has chosen Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) as his choice to co-chair the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction.

“Sen. Patty Murray may be a fine Senator, but putting Senate Democrats’ leading fundraiser in charge of a committee that will see a lobbying push like never before sends the wrong message to the American people,” said Nick Nyhart, president of Public Campaign. “Instead of focusing solely on finding a balanced approach to deficit reduction, she will also be focused on raising money from the same interests hoping to influence the committee.”

According to reports from Politico, Reid has chosen Sens. Murray, Max Baucus (D-MT), and John Kerry (D-MA) as his selections. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (R-CA) have yet to make their decisions.

News reports have referred to the upcoming committee as a “lobbying bonanza.” Last week, Public Campaign organized a letter signed by two dozen public interest, faith-based, consumer, and political reform organizations released an open letter to Congress today demanding that members of the comittee agree to stop all political fundraising as they conduct their work and provide complete transparency of meetings with outside parties. It’s available online at www.publicampaign.org/supercongress.

“If Sen. Murray accepts this position, she must immediately step down as chair of the DSCC and provide her plan to ensure that the Committee’s work is done in the open and without the undue influence of outside interests,” said Nyhart.

###

Public Campaign is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to raise the voice of everyday Americans through common sense reform of the way our elections are financed. Learn more at www.publicampaign.org.