Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) in introducing the Democracy for All Amendment. This constitutional amendment would overturn the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. FEC decision and other alarming decisions around campaign finance that have led to floods of corporate and dark money in politics and diminished the voice of the American people in elections. These decisions have wrongly equated money with free speech by determining that big, wealthy corporations have the same First Amendment rights as people.
“The American people deserve a fair and transparent political process, and overturning Citizens United and getting dark money out of politics are vital first steps. I’m proud to support the Democracy for All constitutional amendment to protect our democracy, safeguard our elections, and put Nevada voters first.”
The Democracy for All Amendment would put power back in the hands of the public and get big money out of politics by empowering Congress and states to set reasonable campaign finance rules and limiting corporate spending. The amendment would enshrine in the Constitution the power of the American people to regulate the funding of public elections and curb the concentration of political influence held by the wealthiest Americans.
Cortez Masto has long supported Congressional action to crack down on dark money in politics. Earlier this year, she cosponsored the DISCLOSE Act, legislation that would require organizations spending money in federal elections to disclose their donors and help guard against hidden foreign influence in our democracy. She has also introduced legislation, the Inaugural Committee Transparency Act, to increase oversight and public disclosure of how presidential inaugural committees spend the millions of dollars they raise and help prevent the misuse of committee funds.
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