Our National Citizen Leadership Conference in Washington D.C. June 22-25 brought together citizen leaders from around the country to learn, be inspired, and join forces in order to further the fight for a 28th Amendment to get big money out of politics. We spoke with some of the conference attendees and asked them why this event and movement matter to them. Below are some of their responses.

Josh Marshall, Trailblazers PAC

Ithaca, NY

“I would like to see the 28th pass one way or another because no other issue can be addressed while there is money in politics.”

Marie HenselderKimmel

Cherry Hill, NJ

“I saw the needs of citizens repeatedly ignored in legislation when massive spending by corporations and special interests was used to tip the scales of the political process.”

Shelby Shadwell

Laramie, WY

“Big Money in politics affects every single issue—no matter what side of the aisle you’re on. Every issue can be traced back to this one, so we’ve got to get at the root of the problem.”

Farhad Choksy

Washington D.C.

“Nothing can happen if we don’t. Without a true form of a representative democracy, which we don’t have right now when there is Big Money in politics, we can’t make social progress.”

Laura Knipmeyer

Long Valley, NJ

“I feel that nothing is ever going to change on any of the other issues that I really care about until we get this one done.”

Jerry Lloyd

Olathe, KS

“Our politicians in this current environment have to spend too much of their time raising money … such that they can’t work on the issues that actually drew them into politics.”