Election 2018 | Press Releases

Kaine an Opponent of Citizens United and Champion of Campaign Finance Reform

Jul 23, 2016

For Immediate Release
Friday, July 22, 2016
Contact: Adam Bozzi, [email protected]

End Citizens United Executive Director Tiffany Muller released the following statement in reaction to Hillary Clinton’s selection of Virginia Senator Tim Kaine as her Vice Presidential running mate.

“Tim Kaine is a true public servant, serving as a missionary, civil rights lawyer, teacher and elected official.  He has sided with Virginians against the special interests and understands that the only way we’ll truly restore the voice of everyday Americans in our democracy is to reverse Citizens United.  That’s why he has stood on the side of reform for over a decade – pushing for more transparency and disclosure, voting to advance a constitutional amendment, and calling for an end to Republican obstruction of President Obama’s nominee to the Supreme Court.  From day one, the Clinton-Kaine team will fight to end the corrosive influence that billionaires’ and corporate special interests’ unlimited, secret money has on our elections and our government.”

In 2010, Kaine said Citizens United would, “allow the money of corporate interests to flood the political process, will undermine free and fair elections and further erode voters’ confidence in our system of Democracy,” while also calling it, “a major victory for oil companies, banks, health insurance companies and other special interests that already use their power over Washington to drown out the voices of regular Americans.”

In the Senate, Kaine has cosponsored the DISCLOSE Act and the We The People Act, and has voted to advance a Constitutional amendment that would give Congress the ability to reverse Citizens United.  He has called for an end to the Republican obstruction to filling the vacancy on the Supreme Court, which could overturn Citizens United with a progressive majority.

End Citizens United PAC was established in March 2015 to counter the disastrous effects of Citizens United and reform our campaign finance system. To date, more than 1.5 million grassroots members from every state and territory have taken action to support End Citizens United.

Read more on ECU from the San Francisco Chronicle: End Citizens United Aggressively Seeks Campaign Finance Reform.