To Restore Democracy

Today the Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing on Sen. Tom Udall's constitutional amendment to restore the authority of Congress and the states to set reasonable limits on raising and spending of money in political campaigns. Congress is expected to vote this year on this legislation that will begin to restore the first amendment rights of ordinary Americans.

Watch the committee hearing live at the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Why do we need this amendment? The corrosive effects of money and corporate influence on American politics is growing stronger. Just look at the numbers: In 2012, candidates, parties and outside groups spent nearly $7 billion on the U.S. presidential election. Now during this year’s midterm congressional races, it’s expected that $2.6 billion will be spent on TV advertising alone. The money being poured into 2014 races has already eclipsed the 2010 campaigns, previously the most expensive midterms ever, more than three times.

The Supreme Court wrongly opened this spigot with Citizens United decision, which turned election and political spending upside down with the determination that corporations are people, allowing corporations to spend an unlimited amount of money in our elections. The court’s McCutcheon decision this year cranked open the floodgates even wider by striking down aggregate contribution limits so that one super-wealthy donor can now inject up to $3.6 million into our politics.

"James Madison argued that the U.S. Constitution should be amended only on ‘great and extraordinary occasions'," said Udall (D-NM) in proposing the amendment. "I believe we have reached one of those occasions.”

CWA and our allies couldn’t agree more. Udall has the backing of labor, as well as students, environmentalists, good government groups and more.

The people are fed up. According to a new CBS News Poll, 76 percent of Americans say that spending by outside groups on political advertising should be limited and 71 percent think individual contributions to political campaigns should be limited. Three in four think wealthy Americans have a better chance than others of influencing the election process.

States are already starting to act. California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) recently signed SB 27 into law, which compels "dark money" nonprofits to reveal their secret funders when they spend over $50,000 on California campaigns. Since Citizens United, 16 states and more than 500 local governments have called on Congress to overturn Citizens United through ballot initiatives, resolutions or other measures, showing strong public support for reform. 

At the same time, Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) is working on the Fair Elections Now Act, and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) for fighting for the Government By the People Act. Both measures are an important first step to reduce the influence of big donors over federal elections, enhance the voice of small donors and help develop an effective, voluntary campaign finance system.

But until the role of money in politics is completely overhauled, our democracy is in jeopardy. The Koch Brothers are spending millions of dollars to abolish Social Security, attack voting rights, dismantle our public education system and eliminate Medicare as we know it. Thanks to Citizens United, groups like Karl Rove’s Crossroads GPS don’t have to disclose the names of their donors.

We’ve said it time and time again. But it bears repeating: money does not equal speech.