THE MULTIFACETED EFFORT WILL ACTIVATE ECU’S MEMBERS AND HOLD CONGRESS AND THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACCOUNTABLE
By: Tiffany Muller
Executive Director, End Citizens United
More money and less transparency. That’s the Republican plan for our campaign finance system.
In 2017, the GOP will control every branch of government. They’re poised to push for new ways to deliver more power and influence to a handful of billionaires who have one priority – themselves. We’re here to stop them.
Across the country, regardless of ideology or party identification, Americans believe there’s too much money in politics. They feel shut out by a rigged system that allows billionaires and corporate special interests to call the shots. They know the Supreme Court’s disastrous Citizens United system made things worse by opening the door to unlimited and undisclosed money in our elections.
And they certainly don’t believe that allowing more money in the system, especially without disclosure, is the solution.
In the 2016 election cycle, ECU’s 3 million passionate and active members proved that the grassroots can compete with the billionaires. We raised $24 million from more than 270,000 donors who gave an average $14 contribution. It allowed us to become the third largest progressive spender in competitive Senate races, giving a voice to everyday Americans in our elections. In the end, we helped increase the number of pro-campaign finance members in Congress, helping to elect 65 senators and representatives, including 15 new champions like Catherine Cortez Masto and Maggie Hassan.
Now, we’ll focus that energy to hold Congress and President-elect Trump accountable on campaign finance reform issues. We will work to block measures that would weaken our campaign finance system (such as eliminating contribution limits), and to promote reforms to increase transparency and stop the flow of secret money in our elections. We’ll also keep fighting for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, and for a Supreme Court Justice who understands the damage that the misguided decision has caused to our democracy.
ECU Action Network will combine paid communications, earned media, and grassroots organizing. We will mobilize national and targeted in-state actions to contact and pressure elected officials and to raise awareness of the need for reform. And we’ll make sure our members are ready to elect more reform-minded candidates in 2018 and give the boot to the worst offenders.
We can’t let Republicans flood the swamp by repealing our few remaining campaign finance laws. It’s more important than ever that we unite to take concrete actions to ensure that Washington works for the people and not the wealthy. Change won’t be easy, but by mobilizing our grassroots community, we can make sure that our voices are never drowned out by billionaires and special interests.
Join us in this fight. You can learn more about our efforts, or sign up to be part of the ECU Action Network HERE.