Lofgren Responds to Supreme Court's Ruling on Citizens United Case

January 21, 2010

Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Chair of the House Administration Subcommittee on Elections, released the following statement in response to the United States Supreme Court’s ruling on Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.

I’m appalled that the Supreme Court would overturn decades of established precedent and gut our nation’s campaign finance laws. This decision isn’t about free speech, it’s about money. The Court has opened the door to unlimited and unrestricted spending by the largest and wealthiest corporations. The vast coffers of Wall Street banks, health insurance giants, and oil companies will now be free to saturate our air waves and media with their political agenda to drown out other voices. The conservative courts assertion that “independent expenditures including those made by corporations do not give rise to corruption or the appearance of corruption…” is absurd. The conservative court is essentially dragging us back into 19th century when robber barons controlled the political process.

Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren is serving her eighth term in Congress representing most of the City of SanJose and Santa Clara County. She is the Chair of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. She also serves as Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law. She Chairs the House Administration Subcommittee on Elections and serves on the House Homeland Security Committee. Congresswoman Lofgren is Chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation consisting of 34 Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives from California.