STATEMENT BY AMERICAN PROMISE CEO JEFF CLEMENTS ON NEW PEW RESEARCH FINDINGS:  

“Money in politics ranked at the top of a list of ‘very big problems’ facing Americans, according to Pew Research’s new survey. This comes as no surprise. The country just concluded the most costly election cycle in history, and even upcoming down-ballot judicial races in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are being overwhelmed with millions of dollars from billionaires like Reid Hoffman, George Soros, and Elon Musk. No race is too small to attract attention from outside billionaires, special interest groups, and even foreign actors—and this undermines the power of local voters to control their elections.

“The problem of money in politics surpassed all other issues ranked in Pew’s poll, including healthcare costs and inflation. It’s significant that vast majorities of Republicans and Democrats are worried about money’s influence. Their concerns suggest that it hinders efforts to address other important issues facing Americans. Elected officials have to spend more time chasing campaign checks, leaving less time for the job their constituents elected them to do. Unrestrained election spending is leaving voters marginalized at the ballot box and powerless to hold their elected officials accountable. 

“America’s top problem deserves a serious solution. It will take a constitutional amendment to fix the money in politics problem because for decades unelected judges have dismantled commonsense anti-corruption laws passed by the American people and our representatives. The constitutional amendment solution is backed by three out of four Americans, twenty-two states, and hundreds of members of Congress, with more states now considering amendment resolutions in their legislatures. With this constitutional amendment, all Americans and our elected officials can prioritize their communities and the country over the foreign actors, dark money operatives, and elite donor class that have done such damage.”