Government Affairs

Government Affairs

Freedom, justice, and equality are the pillars upon which our nation’s was founded, but putting these ideas into practice takes work, and executing the vision of our forefathers requires persistent attention. Every American has a right to know their elected officials – what they stand for, who is financing their campaigns, their legislative agenda – in order to better determine if that person’s character and actions reflect their interests. The accountability of those we entrust to govern is guaranteed through the transparency of our democratic process. By keeping our promise to the American people, and providing free and fair elections, we enable all members of society to have a voice in ensuring the future integrity of our democracy.

My priorities include:

  • Campaign Finance reform. In 2010 the Supreme Court decided that corporations and unions could spend unlimited amounts of money on political races, they also ruled that a “social welfare” organization which did more than just campaign advertising was not even required to identify their donors.  The result was over $6 billion spent in the last election mostly on negative ads to discredit candidates.  Citizens United has changed campaigns from reasonable debates on issues between candidates to an all-out money “arms race” that is a disservice to voters and candidates alike.
  • DISCLOSE Act. I am a co-sponsor of the DISCLOSE Act, which requires all corporations, super PAC’s, and unions to report campaign expenditures over $10,000. Nameless, faceless, out-of-state money has no business trying to tell you how to vote. We need real-time, mandated disclosure of who is contributing money. The first step toward electoral integrity is transparency in funding. How can we demand transparency in government if we cannot even get transparency in our elections?
  • Encouraging Americans participate in the democratic process. In recent years we have witnessed a troubling rise in the use of strategies aimed at keeping voters away from the polls on Election Day. Lines over six hours long, instructions indicating the wrong election date, confusion about whether or not voter ID cards were required, and the presence of people trained to challenge and discourage voters have all undermined the transparency and integrity of our electoral process. These perverse and cowardly tactics weaken the very fibers of our communities and have no place in American politics. Instead we should promote inclusive practices that encourage Americans to participate in one of our proudest tradition.