Dear Friend,

I want you to be the first to know that, in a few hours, I'll be introducing the Empowering Citizens Act (ECA) to put elections back in the hands of ordinary Americans. In the wake of the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision, I believe restoring transparency and accountability to our electoral process is a national emergency. We need government of, by and for the people, not government bought and paid for by special interests. I wrote the ECA to empower small donors in presidential and congressional campaigns and to create crystal clear anti-coordination rules forbidding Super PACs from operating as arms of candidate campaigns.

The Empowering Citizens Act has three parts:

• Fix presidential campaign matching funding – The presidential campaign financing system created in the wake of Watergate is obsolete and desperately needs updating. The ECA incorporates the ideas behind my Presidential Funding Act and would modernize the current system by replacing it with a new small donor matching program that encourages candidates to reach out to all Americans, not just those with the thickest wallets.

• A new small donor matching system for congressional campaigns – Like presidential elections, congressional elections need to focus on ideas, not on high-dollar fundraising. The ECA would, for the first time in our history, allow congressional candidates to pursue matching funding for small donations. The ECA would create a 5:1 match for donations up to $250, making a $250 donation worth $1,500 to candidate campaigns. Focusing on small donor matching will help candidates keep in touch with their constituents and run strong, grass-roots campaigns unbeholden to special interests. It also will ensure that outside groups with unlimited sums to spend can't hijack the marketplace of ideas and drown out other voices, including those of the candidates themselves. For more information about the ideas behind this innovative approach, check out the August 2012 Brennan Center/Democracy 21 report.

• Clear rules on illegal candidate-Super PAC coordination – We must replace our current fig-leaf anti-coordination rules with a clear prohibition forbidding Super PACs from operating as arms of candidate campaigns. My bill would strengthen current rules against coordination between candidate-specific Super PACS and outside spending groups. No longer would candidates be allowed to have their close friends raise unlimited campaign dollars for them through the Super PAC loophole created in the wake of the Citizens United decision.

You can find out more about the ECA on my website. In Congress, I'm also leading other efforts to restore integrity to our elections. Years ago, passage of my "Stand By Your Ad" bill required that all candidates appear in and claim responsibility for their ads. In response to Citizens United, I've introduced the "Stand By Every Ad" bill, which would hold Super PACs to the same standard and require that they disclose their top five donors in their ads. While I didn't arrive at the conclusion lightly, I also believe we need to go to the source and amend the Constitution. I've co-sponsored H.J.Res 8, which would amend the Constitution to reassert Congress' ability to place limitations on contributions to and expenditures by candidates and political committees taking part in federal elections.

Americans have a right to know who is trying to influence their vote. Government should be fair and accountable to all people, and the people who finance our campaigns should be the people we represent.

As always, if you have a question or need help with constituent services, please do not hesitate to get in touch by calling my office or sending me an email.

Sincerely,

David Price

Member of Congress