Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
September 20, 2021
**Amendment would help get big money out of politics and put power back in the hands of the American people**
(Manchester, NH) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) announced on Friday an amendment that she’s introducing today with Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to overturn the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. FEC decision. The Democracy for All Amendment would also overturn other alarming decisions around campaign finance that led to floods of corporate and dark money in politics and diminished the voice of the American people in elections. These decisions have wrongfully equated money with free speech, and unfairly determined that big, wealthy corporations have the same First Amendment rights as people.
Text of the amendment is available here.
“Dark money should never dilute the voices of everyday Americans in our politics – that’s a core democratic belief that transcends political affiliation. I’m proud to lead this Constitutional amendment in response to combat the influence of special interests and dark money and return the power to the people in our elections. Citizens United was a disastrous decision that paved the way for special and foreign interests to sway our elections with little accountability,” said Shaheen. “It’s time to ensure our politics are reflective of the will of the people – I look forward to building bipartisan support to deliver on this amendment.”
The Democracy for All Amendment would put power back in the hands of the public and get big money out of politics by empowering Congress and states to set reasonable campaign finance rules and limiting corporate spending. The amendment would enshrine in the Constitution the right of the American people to regulate the raising and spending of funds in public elections, and curb the concentration of political influence held by the wealthiest Americans.
U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ed Markey (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Bob Casey (D-PA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Michael Bennett (D-CO), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jack Reed (D-RI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) are also cosponsors of the Democracy for All Amendment.
Shaheen has long supported Congressional action to crack down on dark money in politics. Earlier this year, Shaheen helped reintroduce the DISCLOSE Act, legislation that would require organizations spending money in federal elections to disclose their donors and help guard against hidden foreign influence in our democracy. Additionally, Shaheen previously called out millions of dollars’ worth of dark money ads in New Hampshire and across the country that sought to derail bipartisan efforts in Congress to end surprise medical billing. A report by the New York Times revealed that the group behind this ad campaign, Doctor Patient Unity, is a front for private equity firms on Wall Street.
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