Sarbanes rejects corporate PAC money and led once-in-a-generation anti-corruption and voting rights legislation
Today, End Citizens United // Let America Vote Action Fund (ECU // LAV), a leading anti-corruption and voting rights group with over 4 million members nationwide, released its legislative scorecard for the 117th Congress. The scorecard grades members of Congress on their support for important anti-corruption and voting rights measures Congress has considered in the past year and a half.
Because of his commitment to rooting out corruption in Washington, limiting the power lobbyists have in Congress, preventing election sabotage, protecting the freedom to vote, ending dark money, and stopping egregious partisan gerrymandering that denies voters fair and equal representation, Congressman Sarbanes received an A+ from ECU // LAV. He refuses to accept money from corporate PACs, so he is only accountable to the people he represents. And this past session, Congressman Sarbanes supported doing whatever it took to pass legislation that would ensure every American could make their voices heard and have their votes counted in our elections, including being the lead sponsor of the For the People Act and supporting all its iterations, including the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act.
“Americans are sick and tired of seeing self-serving politicians use their positions of power to line their own pockets and pad the bottom lines of their donors. Whether it’s politicians using insider information to enrich themselves in the midst of a deadly pandemic, or opposing legislation that would lower costs for working families, simply because their wealthy, corporate donors oppose it, we need elected officials who put the people they represent first. That’s why we gave Congressman Sarbanes an A+ on our 2022 scorecard. He has fought corporate special interests in Washington and is rejecting corporate PAC money, and he led the fight in Congress to pass anti-corruption and voting rights legislation, authoring H.R. 1 and spearheading the push to pass it through Congress” said End Citizens United // Let America Vote Action Fund President Tiffany Muller.
“I am honored to receive this recognition for my work to safeguard our democracy, pull back the curtain on dark money in our politics and empower the American people,” said Congressman Sarbanes. “I began this work when comprehensive, structural democracy reform was not an issue squarely before Congress. Now, with our democracy in its fragile state, I will remain undeterred in my efforts to restore faith and integrity to our government.”
See below for the criteria used to determine grades in the scorecard:
-
For the People Act (S. 1/S. 2093, H.R. 1): Legislation to protect the freedom to vote, end the dominance of big money in politics, and restore ethics and accountability in government.
-
Freedom to Vote Act (S. 2747): Legislation to protect the freedom to vote, end the dominance of big money in politics, and stop discrimination in voting and redistricting.
-
Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act (H.R. 5746): Legislation combining the Freedom to Vote Act and John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to ensure the freedom to vote, stop discrimination in voting and redistricting, and end the dominance of big money in politics.
-
John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (S. 4, H.R. 4): Legislation to restore the full power of the Voting Rights Act and protect voters from discrimination at the ballot box.
-
DISCLOSE Act (S. 443, H.R. 1334): Legislation that will ensure voters know who is trying to influence their vote by requiring politically-active groups to disclose their largest donors who give over $10,000.
-
Protecting our Democracy Act (H.R. 5314): Legislation to prevent presidential abuses of power and restore checks and balances.
-
Democracy for All Amendment (S.J. Res. 25, H.J. Res. 1): An amendment to the Constitution to give Congress and state legislatures the power to set commonsense restrictions on big money’s influence in politics.
-
Refuses corporate PAC money: Senator or Member chooses to refuse contributions from corporate PACs for their campaign.
-
Washington, D.C. Admissions Act (S. 51, H.R. 51): Granting statehood and voting representation to Washington, D.C’s nearly 700,000 citizens.
-
Impeachment of Donald John Trump (H. Res. 24): Articles of impeachment against former President Trump for his role in inciting a violent insurrection against our government in order to overturn a free and fair election.
###