End Citizens United (ECU) President Tiffany Muller released the following statement on the eighth anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. FEC decision:
“It’s fitting that the Trump Shutdown comes on the anniversary of the Citizens United decision. The overwhelming amount of money in politics is at the root of the dysfunction, partisanship, gridlock, and mistrust in Washington.
“In the eight years since the Supreme Court put a for sale sign on U.S. elections, our democracy has been corrupted to favor those with the biggest checks at the cost of the American people. The voices of everyday families are overwhelmed by an ever-growing tsunami of secret special interest money.
“The ideas that corporations are people and that money is speech have led to unprecedented spending in elections. Outside spending — often from shady, secret sources — has increased by almost 900% since the disastrous decision. It’s no wonder politicians are in the pockets of Big Money interests. The result is a Congress that lacks the will to stand up to mega-donors and is paralyzed on the issues most important to the nation.
“On this anniversary, we rededicate ourselves to taking back our democracy from the grips of deep-pocketed special interests and get our government working again. We must fight to reform our campaign finance system, overturn Citizens United and return power to where it rightfully belongs — with the American people. Our democracy depends on it.”
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