End Citizens United // Let America Vote Action Fund is leading a coalition of groups including, Communications Workers of America, Brady PAC, Common Cause, and Public Citizen, in launching a $1.3 million TV and digital ad campaign highlighting how Members of Congress in 18 battleground districts are fighting to protect our democracy with the most comprehensive anti-corruption and reform legislation in decades, the For the People Act (H.R. 1/S. 1). In the 116h Congress, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats made passing the For the People Act their first legislative priority of the session. The bill restores the foundational principles of our democracy, “one voice, one vote,” by protecting the right to vote, ending dark money, and strengthening ethics laws.
The ad campaign will run in districts of the following Members: Rep. Tom O’Halleran (AZ-01), Rep. Josh Harder (CA-10), Rep. Katie Porter (CA-45), Rep. Jason Crow (CO-06), Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-06), Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03), Rep. Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Rep. Elissa Slotkin (MI-08), Rep. Jared Golden (ME-02), Rep. Chris Pappas (NH-01), Rep. Andy Kim (NJ-03), Rep. Tom Malinowski (NJ-07), Rep. Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), Rep. Antonio Delgado (NY-19), Rep. Susan Wild (PA-07), Rep. Colin Allred (TX- 32), Rep. Abigail Spanberger (VA-07) and Rep. Jennifer Wexton (VA-10).
Click here to watch a sample TV ad.
“In the 116th Congress, we were grateful these representatives showed leadership that helped make passing the For the People Act the first bill of that session,” said End Citizens United // Let America Vote Action Fund President Tiffany Muller. “Now, following an attack on our democracy––including an insurrection at the Capitol––it is time to finish the job and pass this into law. The American people are once again supporting the continued work of these Members to get Big Money out of politics and restore faith in our democracy. H.R. 1 will put an end to the corrupt status quo in Washington.”
“While gun violence rates continue to rise, “dark money” Super PACs from the gun industry have continued to poison our political system, placing profits over people. These massive organizations have dominated the playing field, silencing the overwhelming majority of Americans’ calls for lifesaving gun violence prevention legislation,” said Brian Lemek, Executive Director of Brady PAC. “With firearm suicide, unintentional shootings and domestic violence numbers climbing, the need to pass H.R.1, the For the People Act, couldn’t been clearer: we must do away with dark money and give a voice back to the American people.”
“The clear importance of the For the People Act to the American people has caused it to be designated both H.R.1 and S.1. We thank these 18 members for the vocal support which helped to pass the legislation in the House last Congress, and at a moment where we face an acute crisis of confidence in our democracy, we must ensure this bill finally becomes law,” said Lisa Gilbert, Executive Vice President of Public Citizen. “The For the People Act will make voting access easier, improve election security, limit secret political spending, deal with gerrymandering, create a small donor-focused public financing system to allow more candidates to run, install new ethics rules for the administration and Congress and much more.”
“All Americans deserve to have their voices heard and votes counted, regardless of the size of their wallets or the color of their skin. However, for far too long, special interests, the ultra-wealthy, and corporate lobbyists have had a megaphone, and vote suppressors continued attempts to silence the voices of largely Black and Brown communities leave many Americans voiceless,” said Karen Hobert Flynn, President of Common Cause. “The transformative For the People Act would significantly shift the balance of power and put ‘we the people’ in charge of our democracy. Common Cause and our 1.5 million members are extremely appreciative of the continued support of HR 1 by these 18 Representatives, and we will continue to encourage our thousands of supporters in each of these districts to call their Representatives to thank them for their support of the For the People Act.”
“The successful accommodations that many states made to expand access to voting early and by mail during the pandemic made it even more clear that democracy reform is much-needed to make these positive changes permanent,” said Shane Larson, CWA Senior Director for Government Affairs and Policy. “CWA members are proud to support H.R.1, the For the People Act, to make it easier for everyone to vote, to crack down on corporate money in politics, and to strengthen ethics rules. We thank these Members of Congress for supporting the bill in the last Congress, and we are counting on their support again to get this bill signed into law.”
The ad campaign will air in Members’ districts and Washington D.C. with television and digital ads starting February 3rd.
A sample TV script below:
Abigail Spanberger knows you can’t fix a corrupt system without shaking things up.
So during her first days in Congress, she voted to disclose the financial backers of everyone there.
And today, she has a chance to pass the most comprehensive anti-corruption legislation in decades.
To get dark money out of politics. Strengthen our ethics laws. And make both parties accountable to us again.
Thank Rep. Spanberger for supporting the For the People Act.
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