Reforms in the For the People Act aim at fixing our broken campaign finance system, strengthening ethics laws, and empowering voters
McConnell refuses to even allow a debate on the bill
End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller released the following statement on the 200th day since the passage of the For the People Act (H.R.1), which Senate Majority Leader McConnell refuses to consider:
“It’s been 200 days since House Democrats, led by Speaker Pelosi, Rep. John Sarbanes and the freshman class, passed the most comprehensive anti-corruption and government reform bill since Watergate. It’s designed to upend the rigged system that big money special interests and corrupt politicians have created. But because of the stranglehold special interests have over Senator McConnell, the bill is just sitting in the Senate and the will of the American people is being ignored.
“Since retaking the House in January, Democrats in Congress have acted swiftly, passing legislation that protects the country and puts power back in the hands of the American people. These reformers know that progress on any issue, whether it’s climate change or gun safety, is blocked by the culture of corruption that runs through Washington. Fighting government corruption is not an isolated issue, and passing the For the People Act in the Senate would address critical issues affecting Americans.
“Mitch McConnell is blocking reform and siding with corporate special interests over the American people, and he should be ashamed of himself.”
The For the People Act is borne out of the 2018 midterm elections that saw a majority of Democratic challengers run on a platform of cleaning up corruption and unrigging the system in Washington. The comprehensive bill includes provisions to restore voting rights, safeguard the integrity of elections, reform ethics laws, and end the dominance of big money in politics. In October 2018, ECU organized a letter, signed by three-quarters of the incoming class, demanding reform be the first item on the agenda in the new Congress. A post-election poll commissioned by ECU found that 75 percent of 2018 voters in battleground House districts said cracking down on Washington corruption was their top priority.
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