Editing Jesse Helms (section)

===1980 presidential election===
In 1979, Helms was touted as a potential contender for the [[Republican Party (United States) presidential primaries, 1980|Republican nomination]] for the [[1980 United States presidential election|1980 presidential election]],<ref name="Only 6 of 18 GOP Contenders">{{cite news |title=Only 6 of 18 G.O.P. Contenders are Recognised by Half of Voters |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 23, 1979 |page=27 }}</ref> but had poor voter recognition, and he lagged far behind the front-runners.<ref name="Only 6 of 18 GOP Contenders" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Reagan and Ford hold G.O.P. Lead, Poll Says |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 29, 1979 |page=14 }}</ref> He was the only candidate to file for the [[New Hampshire primary|New Hampshire Vice-Presidential primary]].<ref>{{cite news |title=5 Democrats and 7 Republicans to be on New Hampshire Ballot |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 28, 1979 |page=19 }}</ref> Going into 1980, he was suggested as a potential [[running mate]] for Reagan, and said he'd accept if he could "be his own man".<ref name="A Stand-In for Ron">{{cite news |first=Tom |last=Wicker |author-link=Tom Wicker |title=A Stand-In for Ron? |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 1, 1980 |page=19 }}</ref> He was one of three conservative candidates running for the nomination.<ref>{{cite news |first=Patrick |last=Brogan |title=Will Mr Reagan compromise on his choice of running mate? |work=[[The Times]] |page=7 |date=April 11, 1980 }}</ref> However, his ideological agreement with Reagan risked losing moderates' votes, particularly due to the independent candidacy of Rep. [[John B. Anderson]],<ref name="A Stand-In for Ron" /><ref>{{cite news |first=William |last=Safire |author-link=William Safire |title=Handful of Hopefuls |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 26, 1980 |page=15 }}</ref> and the Reagan camp was split:<ref>{{cite news |first=Hedrick |last=Smith |author-link=Hedrick Smith |title=Reagan Aims at Northeast and Midwest in Fall Race |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 12, 1979 |page=D14 }}</ref> eventually designating [[George H. W. Bush]] as his preferred candidate. At the convention, Helms toyed with the idea of running for vice-president despite Reagan's choice, but let it go in exchange for Bush's endorsing the party platform and allowing Helms to address the convention.<ref name="Conservative First Recoil">{{cite news |first=Martin |last=Tolchin |title=Conservatives First Recoil, Then Line Up Behind Bush |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 18, 1980 |page=9 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Franklin Delano Reagan |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 20, 1980 |page=E20 }}</ref> As expected,<ref>{{cite news |title=Mr Ford sets conditions to be Reagan running mate |work=[[The Times]] |page=1 |date=July 17, 1980 }}</ref> Helms was drafted by conservatives anyway, and won 54 votes, coming second. Helms was the "spiritual leader of the conservative convention",<ref name="Conservative First Recoil" /> and led the movement that successfully reversed the Republican Party's 36-year platform support for an [[Equal Rights Amendment]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Warren |last=Weaver |title=Equal Rights Plan Splits Republicans Drafting Platform |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 8, 1980 |page=1 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Anthony |last=Lewis |author-link=Anthony Lewis |title=How He Could Lose |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 14, 1980 |page=19 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | title=How We Got Here: The '70s | url=https://archive.org/details/howwegothere70sd00frum | url-access=registration |last=Frum |first=David |author-link=David Frum |year=2000 |publisher=Basic Books |location=New York |isbn=978-0-465-04196-1 |page=[https://archive.org/details/howwegothere70sd00frum/page/245 245] }}</ref>

In the fall of 1980, Helms proposed another bill denying the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] jurisdiction over [[school prayer]], but this found little support in committee. It was strongly opposed by [[mainline Protestant]] churches,<ref>{{cite news |first=Marjorie |last=Hunter |title=The Churches are at Odds Over Yet Another School Prayer Bill |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 3, 1980 |page=1 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Steven V. |last=Roberts |author-link=Steven V. Roberts |title=New Strategies Sharpen Old Fight on Civil Rights |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 23, 1980 |page=E2 }}</ref> and its counterpart was defeated in the House.<ref>{{cite news |first=Dorothy J. |last=Samuels |author-link=Dorothy Samuels |title=A Coming Threat to Constitutional Values |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 23, 1980 |page=E21 }}</ref> Senators Helms and [[James A. McClure]] blocked Ted Kennedy's comprehensive criminal code that did not relax federal firearms restrictions, inserted capital punishment procedures, and reinstated current statutory law on [[pornography]], [[prostitution]], and [[drug possession]].<ref name="Pear 17">{{cite news |first=Robert |last=Pear |title=Crime Bill Challenged by Conservative Republicans |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 15, 1980 |page=17 }}</ref> Following from his success at reintroducing gold-indexed contracts in 1977, in October 1980, Helms proposed a return to the [[gold standard]],<ref>{{cite news |first=Frank |last=Vogl |title=United States seeks stronger role for SDR in monetary system |work=[[The Times]] |page=19 |date=October 2, 1980 }}</ref> and successfully passed an amendment setting up a commission to look into gold-backed currency.<ref>{{cite news |first=Leonard |last=Silk |title=Clash Over Gold Standard |work=[[The New York Times]] |page=D2 |date=April 29, 1981 }}</ref> After the presidential election, Helms and [[Strom Thurmond]] sponsored a Senate amendment to a [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]] appropriations bill denying the Department the power to participate in [[Desegregation busing in the United States|busing]], due to objections over federal involvement, but, although passed by Congress, was vetoed by a [[Lame duck (politics)|lame duck]] Carter.<ref>{{cite news |first=B. Drummond Jr. |last=Ayres |title=Civil Rights Groups Fear a Slowdown In Busing for Desegregation of Schools |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 21, 1980 |page=28 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Tom |last=Wicker |author-link=Tom Wicker |title=Why Not The Best? |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 16, 1980 |page=E21 }}</ref> Helms pledged to introduce an even stronger anti-busing bill as soon as Reagan took office.<ref>{{cite news |title=Senate Drops Antibusing Rider from Major Appropriations Bill |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=December 11, 1980 }}</ref>