Amid ongoing political division in our nation, the unified call to end the domination of big money in our elections—supported by 75% of Americans—is overcoming divides in Congress, where it is the subject of rare bipartisan support.
On Jan. 21, the 11th anniversary of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, a bipartisan group of representatives introduced a Constitutional amendment to end unlimited political spending by overturning the ruling. Lead sponsors of the bill include Reps. Ted Deutch (D-FL), John Katko (R-NY), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), and Jim McGovern (D-MA). The Democracy for All Amendment would ensure that all Americans have an equal voice in our elections and that politicians listen to their constituents, not their wealthiest donors. “The Supreme Court’s disastrous ruling in Citizens United made clear that a Constitutional amendment would be required to address the outsized role of money in politics,” Congressman Katko said.
In the wake of the most expensive election in our nation’s history, passing this amendment should be the 117th Congress’s top priority. After witnessing a $14 billion 2020 election cycle, every American knows why we have hardly any influence on legislation. In that tidal wave of money, no average American can hope to gain the attention of our political leaders, whose astronomical election and re-election costs require an ongoing focus on fundraising. As Congressman Deutch says: “The Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United put an unacceptable price of admission on American democracy. We cannot allow the wealthiest individuals and corporations to flood our elections with cash through complex webs of Super PACs and dark money groups that put special interests above the will of the American people.”
Ending this pay-to-play system with a Constitutional amendment would enable members of Congress to spend less time raising money and more time focusing on the issues that matter to their constituents. It would ensure that our representative government was made up of people who want what is best for all people, not just the ultra wealthy and well connected.
If you share the view of the majority of Americans that our voices matter and that we must end the domination of money in politics to preserve our Constitutional republic, we encourage you to reach out to your member of Congress and ask them to support this amendment. You should also consider writing a letter to the editor of your local or regional newspaper to raise awareness of and grow support for this critical solution to our corrupt, money-driven system. If you’re interested in learning how to do this or how to get involved, join us for an upcoming training session.
Watch below as Congressman Deutch explains the work that needs to be done to pass this amendment.
*Note, this video was recorded before Virginia became the 22nd state to support amendment efforts.
