Common Cause and Public Campaign will use TV ads and state-based grassroots efforts to push a public-financing bill designed to limit the influence of corporate spending in congressional races.

The Fair Election Now Act, which has versions pending in the House and Senate, would give candidates campaign money if they agreed to take only donations of $100 or less from contributors in their districts or states. Once they met a minimum amount of contributions, they would get $400 in matching funds for every $100 raised.  

The two groups plan to spend up to $15 million this year on a nationwide campaign supporting the legislation, including running television ads that target eight wavering lawmakers in Washington state, Colorado and Florida, the Washington Post report. The groups are also organizing grassroots efforts in 24 states.

The House version -- sponsored by Democratic Rep. John Larson of Connecticut and GOP Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina - has 157 cosponsors. The Senate version was written by Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois. Supporters hope to get the House bill to a floor vote this summer.

Critics argue that the existing public-financing system for presidential elections is faltering, and that a similar system for congressional candidates would suffer as well. They also point to a recent Government Accountability Office report that says it's unclear whether public-financing programs in Arizona and Maine have had much impact. The U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing the Arizona law.