Campaign Finance Reform

Out-of-control campaign spending has reached a truly dangerous level in our country. Our country’s very future is at risk unless we achieve significant campaign finance reform. Special interests exert far too much power in Washington.

According to political scientist Lee Drutman, corporations spend about $2.6 billion a year on reported lobbying expenditures, measurably more than the approximately $2.2 billion available to Congress for everything from staff salaries to policy, budget, and legal research.

The opportunity for ordinary Americans with talent and dedication to win elections in our country is steadily disappearing. In 1982, the average race for the U.S. House seat cost $265,000, according to the Federal Elections Commission. Now a contested race will cost well over a million dollars, depending on the media market.

The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Citizens United represented a major step backward—allowing corporations and rich individuals to contribute unlimited sums of money without any accountability. Congress must enact strong campaign finance reform and end once and for all the current practice of allowing elections to be bought by the highest bidder.
 

LEGISLATION MARCY HAS SPONSORED IN CONGRESS

H.J. Res. 38. Constitutional Amendment. Proposes a constitutional amendment granting Congress and the States the power to establish limits on contributions and expenditures in elections for public office and determing that First Amendment protections do not apply to the political speech of corporations and other business organizations with respect to the disbursement of funds in connection with public elections.

H.R. 128. Fairness in Political Advertising Act of 2013. Congresswoman Kaptur’s bill would require TV broadcasting stations and also cable operators to make available free air time for political advertising. The bill was referred to the House Energy and Commerce committee.

H.Con.Res. 6. Re Buckley v. Valeo. This resolution expresses the sense of Congress that the U.S. Supreme Court misinterpreted the First Amendment in the case of Buckley v. Valeo when it equated campaign spending with free speech. It has been referred to the Judiciary Committee.

H.R. 195. Ethics in Foreign Lobbying Act of 2013. Congresswoman Kaptur’s bill would prohibit contributions and expenditures by multi-candidate political committees that are controlled by foreign-owned corporations. The bill was referred jointly to House Administration and the Judiciary Committee.

H.J. Res. 12. Constitutional Amendment. This resolution proposes a constitutional amendment to address campaign contributions and expenditures. Referred to the Judiciary Committee.

H.J. Res. 13. Constitutional Amendment. Congresswoman Kaptur’s resolution proposes a constitutional amendment saying that First Amendment protections do not apply to the political speech of any corporation, partnership, business trust, association or other business organization with respect to campaign contributions or expenditures. Referred to Judiciary.

H.J. Res. 14. Constitutional Amendment. This resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that waives the application of the first article of amendment to the political speech of corporations and other business organizations with respect to the disbursement of funds in connection with public elections and granting Congress and the States the power to establish limits on contributions and expenditures in elections for public office. Referred to Judiciary.

H.R. 195. Ethics in Foreign Lobbying Act of 2013. Congresswoman Kaptur’s bill would prohibit foreign-controlled corporations and associations from contributing to federal campaigns or spending money in federal campaigns.