Rep. Golden rejects corporate PAC money and has made anti-corruption reform a top priority in office
Congressman Jared Golden took on Dale Crafts in the first debate for Maine’s Second Congressional District tonight. Golden won this battleground district in 2018 by running on a platform of anti-corruption reforms and rejecting corporate PAC money.
Since the moment he got elected, Congressman Golden has followed through on his word in Congress. Golden led the charge to pass the For the People Act (H.R. 1), the most sweeping anti-corruption, ethics reform and voting rights bill in a generation, and released his own bold package of reforms to Fight Corruption & Dark Money in Politics. Golden’s plan includes 14 bills that aim to restore Americans’ faith in our government, fight dark money in politics, crack down on corruption, and strengthen the enforcement of election and ethics laws and hold corrupt politicians accountable.
“Congressman Golden rolled up his sleeves on day one in Congress to lead the fight for democracy reforms that crack down on corruption in both parties,” said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller. “While other members of Congress spend their time looking for the next check to cash, Golden has been working on the issues Mainers care most about, like lowering the cost of prescription drugs or providing quality care for veterans. Dale Crafts once advocated for clean elections, until he realized he could get more money from corporate PACs and special interests groups, then abandoned that priority entirely. Mainers are tired of the status quo that Crafts embodies and are energized by Congressman Golden’s commitment to putting people ahead of corporate special interests.”
Congressman Golden knows that Big Money and corporate special interests is what stands in the way of achieving results for Mainers. Here are a few highlights of legislation Congressman Golden has passed to root out corruption in both parties and make government work for Mainers:
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For The People Act (H.R.1): The most sweeping anti-corruption, voting rights, and ethics reform legislation in a generation. It would expand Americans’ access to the ballot box, reduce the influence of Big Money in politics, increase transparency, and strengthen ethics rules for public servants.
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The Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3): This bill would force Big Pharma to stop ripping off Mainers. It would grant Medicare new powers to negotiate annual prices for the 250 most expensive drugs on the market. It also makes the lower drug prices negotiated by Medicare available to Mainers with private insurance. And it stops drug companies from ripping off Maine while charging other countries less for the same drugs. H.R.3 would also reinvest nearly half a trillion in savings into expanding Medicare coverage for dental, vision, and hearing services.
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Voting Rights and Advancement Act (H.R. 4): This bill protects voters from disenfranchisement in states with a history of voter suppression and requires preclearance by the Department of Justice or U.S. District Court before changes can be enforced.
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DISCLOSE Act (H.R. 2977): The Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act, this would require all election ads to name their top funders and force all groups spending money in elections to reveal their high-dollar donors
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The SHIELD Act (H.R.4617): The Stopping Harmful Interference in Elections for a Lasting Democracy (SHIELD) Act, establishes a requirement for political campaigns to report election interference from foreign entities and limits political spending and election interference by foreign entities.
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Crack Down on Dark Money Act (H.R.7525): Golden introduced this bill that amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to prohibit 501(c)(4) entities from using more than 10% of total expenditures on certain political expenditures.
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Golden’s Plan to Fix a Broken Washington: This is a series of reforms that aims to crack down on dark money, stamp out improper behavior by elected officials and their family members, shine a light on dark money in politics, and make Congress work for Mainers.
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