Ahead of the vote on the For the People Act (H.R. 1/S. 1) in the House next week, End Citizens United // Let America Vote Action Fund President Tiffany Muller joined Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO), Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06) and Owen Perkins, Founder of CleanStateNow Institute, for a town hall to discuss how passing the bill is vital to safeguarding our democracy. The For the People Act is a bold package of anti-corruption, voting and ethics reforms.
Senator Bennet and Representative Crow, who both refuse corporate PAC money, have been co-sponsors of the For the People Act and two of the fiercest advocates for reform in Congress. Throughout his time in the Senate and during his presidential campaign, Bennet has led the charge to overturn the disastrous Citizens United decision and has made comprehensive campaign finance reform a national priority. During the event, Bennet said: “We have the chance to drain the swamp, and I think we should. And I think we can go to every district in Colorado and not just defend that action, but celebrate that action. We took money out of our politics, and put people back in. And that’s why this is all so important to me.”
In addition to his support for H.R. 1, Crow also included within H.R.1 his End Dark Money Act, a bill aimed at closing loopholes that allow mega-donors to hide their political spending through phony social welfare organizations. Crow has made this the first bill he has introduced two congressional sessions in a row. Throughout the event, Congressman Crow touted his commitment to the bill: “That’s why I’ve decided to make structural democracy reform, campaign finance reform, gerrymandering reform, ethics reform really the premium effort, because whether you’re talking about climate change, health care, immigration… We’re not doing the big and important things anymore because of the structural barriers. And that’s why H.R. 1 is so important.”
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (MD-05) announced that H.R. 1 would be taken up by the House the week of March 1, reflecting the urgency House Democrats feel to safeguard democracy after the Capitol insurrection and as Republican state legislatures consider laws to restrict voting rights. The Senate Democratic Majority has also designated the For the People Act as its first bill of the new congressional session.
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