WCBC

August 1st, 2019 by WCBC Radio

U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) joined Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in introducing the Democracy for All Amendment, a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United v. FEC and other disastrous court decisions, help get big money out of politics, and put power back in the hands of the American people.

 

The full text of the amendment is available HERE. A background summary is available HERE, and a section-by-section with FAQs is available HERE. 

 

Citizens United and other Supreme Court decisions have unleashed a flood of unlimited corporate spending in U.S. elections and opened the door for wealthy special interests to have an outsized voice in our government. These decisions have wrongfully equated money with free speech, and wrongfully determined that big, wealthy corporations have the same first amendment rights as people. The Democracy for All Amendment gives the power back to Congress and the states to set reasonable campaign finance rules and limit corporate spending in elections. 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.   

 

“The Citizens United decision opened the door for special interests and corporate America to have an even greater influence over our political system,” said Cardin. “We can’t let dark money drown out the voices of everyday Americans. The power of our democracy belongs to the people – not corporations, not the wealthy elite. The Senate has a chance to make it right and overturn this counterproductive decision to restore faith in and defend our free and fair electoral system.”