Tag: big money in elections

Citizens United decision weathers 10 years of controversy

The Hill logoA decade after the Supreme Court’s landmark Citizens United decision, which ushered in the era of super PACs and unlimited donations, the fight over the contentious ruling shows no signs of easing.

The case upended the campaign finance system, after the justices in a 5-4 ruling authored by Justice Anthony Kennedy on Jan. 21, 2010 found that restrictions on corporate campaign spending violated free speech.

Democrats blasted the decision, warning of the impact of corporate money flooding into elections. But the ruling also opened the door for labor unions and nonprofits to ramp up their campaign spending, altering the landscape. Continue reading.

Reps. Phillips, Khanna Introduce “No PAC Act” To Get Big Money Out Of Politics

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) introduced the No PAC Act. The bill would amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit members of Congress and those running for a U.S. House or Senate seat from accepting contributions from a political action committee, other than that of the given candidate. It would also prohibit the establishment of leadership PACs.

“There is a constant tug of war in Washington between the will of the people and the demands of special interests,” said Rep. Phillips. “Minnesotans tell me all the time that Congress needs to get to work restoring their trust in our government – and ending the corrupting influence of PACs would be a huge step in that direction. Trust is earned, and as long as special interests can continue to buy influence with PAC money we’re going to continue losing the faith of the people – to the detriment of our nation and our world.” Continue reading “Reps. Phillips, Khanna Introduce “No PAC Act” To Get Big Money Out Of Politics”