The U.S. House of Representatives last night passed the For the People Act (H.R. 1), a critical reform package to get dark money out of politics, crack down on corruption, protect voting rights and ensure elections are accurate. Despite the urgent need to make Washington accountable to the people, Rep. John Katko (NY-24) opposed the bill, demonstrating that he remains in the pocket of big donors and corporate special interests that already have too much access and influence.
“Washington has never been more broken and Representative John Katko is to blame,” said End Citizens United // Let America Vote Action Fund President Tiffany Muller. “Special interests have too much power and influence in Washington, a mob stormed the Capitol, and Republican-led states are engaging in a power grab to take away voting rights. The For the People Act is the solution to making Washington work for the American people again but Katko voted against it because he is beholden to corporate special interests who bankroll his campaign. We’ll make sure to hold him accountable.”
The For the People Act (H.R. 1/S. 1) has become a centerpiece of the Democratic agenda in Congress following the 2018 and 2020 elections when Democrats took and held the House and won back the Senate running on a platform of cleaning up corruption, protecting and expanding voting rights, and unrigging the system in Washington. ECU and LAV have been leading the charge to pass this bold package of anti-corruption, voting and ethics reforms, working with candidates and elected officials to make pro-democracy reforms a top priority and encouraging Americans to demand that their congressional representatives pass the bill.
Over the last several years, ECU has advocated for the passage of the For the People Act through a nationwide grassroots campaign, paid communications, and partnerships with allied groups, candidates, and members of Congress. H.R. 1 has now been co-sponsored by every House Democrat two congressional sessions in a row. The Senate Democratic majority has also designated the legislation S. 1, the caucus’ first bill of the new Congress.
###