No FEC quorum means no FEC decisions

WASHINGTON, April 23 (UPI) -- The lack of members on the U.S. Federal Election Commission has created a backlog of work for the panel, which can't issue opinions nor levy fines.

Currently only two of the FEC's six members are on board -- U.S. Senate party leaders and the White House cannot agree on how to handle the nominations to the empty seats -- so the commission lacks the four-person quorum needed to take official action, the Politico, a Washington newspaper, reported Wednesday.

Among the issues awaiting FEC action include presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain's request for $84 million in public financing. Another issue gathering dust is the matter of lobbyists bundling campaign donations without revealing their actions.

"It is an example of Washington not functioning well," Michael Toner, an FEC commissioner-turned-political consultant, told the Politico. "This standoff has a disproportionate impact on candidates who actually want to comply with the law."

Other observers said the lack of FEC advisories and investigations isn't dire.

"It's not going to affect people's everyday lives," Rick Hasen, an election law expert at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, told the Politico, adding that violators eventually are caught.