Chances are good that meaningful campaign finance reform can be passed and signed into law this year, Congressman Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., said Wednesday.

Wamp, who has been a leading proponent of campaign finance reform during his entire Congressional career, said that though there are differences in approach in Congress and the White House, he is confident there is enough common ground to work out a real reform bill.

"I remain convinced that any reform must address the scandalous abuse of soft money contributions in our political process," Wamp said. "In just the last two weeks we got another reminder of how campaign mega-cash undermines and corrupts confidence in our fundamental governmental processes. Here was former President Clinton -- literally in his last hours in office -- ignoring his own Justice Department and giving a pardon to Marc Rich, who had been hiding from American justice for nearly 18 years to avoid prosecution on 65 counts charging him with racketeering, tax evasion, oil profiteering and unlawfully trading with Iran during the hostage crisis. Rich's ex-wife, Denise, pushed for the pardon. And, of course, she just happened to have contributed more than $1 million to the Democratic Party and President Clinton's wife, U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York. If that doesn?t stink, what does? This sad episode can go down as "Exhibit-A" to make the case against our rotten campaign finance system."

"But let me be clear," Wamp said. "This system corrupts BOTH the Republican and the Democratic Party. Neither side has a monopoly on virtue on this issue and BOTH parties have to be part of the solution."

Wamp has been an advocate of campaign finance reform since first running for Congress in 1992, and has never accepted contributions from special-interest political action committees (PACS). In 1998, Wamp was then chosen as a closing speaker in a debate that led to the bill?s passing the House. The bill, however, failed to pass the Senate.

He spoke Wednesday during a press conference that included U.S. Reps. Chris Shays, R-Conn., and Marty Meehan, D-Mass., and other sponsors of the House version of the McCain-Feingold Senate bill.