Newsletter: Campaign Finance Reform
Statement
Dear Friend,
As another election cycle nears, the need for campaign finance reform is stronger than ever. The U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United decision was a devastating blow to our democratic electoral system. The 2010 ruling struck down restrictions that had barred corporations from spending unlimited amounts of money in elections.
With the Justices divided five to four, the Court's conservative majority used the First Amendment to justify its controversial ruling, saying money is speech and corporations deserve the same rights as citizens. They were wrong -- money is not speech and a corporation doesn't deserve the same First Amendment protections as a person.
Since the decision, nearly a half-billion dollars in undisclosed money was spent during the last two election cycles, and 2016 will no doubt see at least that much "dark money." It is clear that reform is needed to restore Americans' confidence in our democracy.
I believe voters have the right to know where election money goes and who it's from. That's why I am continuing the fight for campaign finance reform in Congress. I support a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and ban corporations from using their general funds in elections. I am also a cosponsor of the DISCLOSE Act, a bill that greatly enhances the public reporting of campaign-related activities by corporations and outside special interest groups.
I will keep fighting for these reforms because it's unfair for corporate special interests to have more of a say in elections than voters.
As always, my office is here to serve you. If you have questions or comments about the topics that matter most to you, I encourage you to contact me through my website. You may also keep up-to-date on what I'm doing by following me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. If you need assistance dealing with a federal agency, such as the IRS or the VA, or if you are having problems with your Social Security or Medicare, please do not hesitate to contact my Bothell office at (425) 485-0085.
Sincerely,
Suzan
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