Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) last week announced the formation of the Congressional China Caucus. [IMGCAP(1)]

The caucus will serve as a forum for Members to confer on issues related to China’s emergence as a global economic, political and military power and its effect on the U.S.-Sino relationship.

In a statement, Forbes, who earlier in the year led a Congressional delegation to meet with Chinese officials and American entrepreneurs in the Middle Kingdom, said: “My colleagues and I are looking forward to starting serious discussion on China so we may better understand how their policies will impact America in the coming years.” 

Founding members of the caucus, to be chaired by Forbes, include: Reps. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.), Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.), Jo Ann Davis (R-Va.), Steve Pearce (R-N.M.), Sam Graves (R-Mo.), Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) and Frank Wolf (R-Va.).

$200,000 Fine. The Federal Election Commission announced last week that it had entered into two separate conciliation agreements — one with the Rev. Jesse Jackson and his Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and another with the Democratic National Committee — for violating the Federal Election Campaign Act.

Both entities admitted violating campaign finance laws, accepted prohibitions on future misconduct and agreed to pay $100,000 each in civil penalties.

In September 2000, the DNC agreed to provide funding for Rainbow/PUSH to conduct a partisan get-out-the-vote drive and speaking tour to benefit Democratic candidates just prior to that November’s election. The DNC did not fully reimburse Jackson’s organization for the cost of the efforts until after the election, however. Rainbow/PUSH spent approximately $450,000 in corporate contributions to fund more than 120 GOTV events.

Although the DNC eventually reimbursed Rainbow/PUSH, in the meantime, the group spent nearly a half-million dollars in corporate money to benefit Democratic candidates and coordinated those efforts with the DNC. FECA prohibits corporations from making contributions or expenditures from their general treasuries in connection with the election of any candidate for federal office.

— Bree Hocking