ECU Action Fund launched its first annual legislative scorecard to track and grade the efforts of every Member of Congress on money in politics and government reform issues
Upton, a Big Money 20 incumbent, has taken over $9.2 million from corporate PACs over the course of his career
The scorecard with Upton’s “F” score ran in two-page ad in Roll Call and was sent to ECU’s four million members
End Citizens United Action Fund (ECU) launched its first annual legislative scorecard to track and grade every Member of Congress on money in politics and government reform issues. Rep. Fred Upton (MI-06), a Big Money 20 member, received a score of “F”. ECU’s scorecard ran in a two-page ad in Roll Call and was sent to the group’s four million members. From increasing transparency to strengthening government ethics and protecting our elections, Upton voted against several bills to root out corruption.
Click here to view the scorecard.
“Rep. Upton got an F because he voted against common sense legislation that roots out corruption,” said ECU President Tiffany Muller. “The scorecard grade shows that Upton is entrenched in Washington’s rigged system and puts corporate special interests ahead of his constituents. Michiganders deserve to know Upton’s dismal record, and we’ll make sure to hold him accountable for his failures.”
ECU’s Big Money 20 campaign is focused on holding incumbents who benefit most from the corrupt establishment in Washington accountable by showing voters how politicians put corporate special interest donors ahead of the people they’re supposed to represent.
Below is the list of criteria used to determine the grades in the scorecard:
Rejects Corporate PAC Money: 60 members of the 116th Congress have chosen to reject contributions from corporate PACs for their campaigns.
For the People Act (H.R. 1): The most transformative anti-corruption and government reform legislation since Watergate, the For the People Act ends the dominance of big money in politics, protects and expands the right to vote, and ensures public officials are working in the public interest. It passed the House in March 2019.
Democracy for All Amendment (H.J. Res 2): The Democracy for All amendment effectively overturns the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. FEC decision by giving Congress and the states the ability to set commonsense limits for campaign fundraising and spending.
The DISCLOSE Act (H.R. 2977): The DISCLOSE Act brings dark money into the light by requiring all groups that spend money on elections to report major campaign donations and expenditures.
The Voting Rights Advancement Act (H.R. 4): The VRAA restores key sections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to ensure every eligible voter can cast their ballot free from discrimination. It passed the House in December.
Motion to Recommit, H.R. 4: The motion to recommit on the House version of the Voting Rights Advancement Act threatened to undermine the For the People Act (H.R. 1). It failed.
The SAFE Act (H.R. 2722): The SAFE Act strengthens our elections by providing states the resources they need to shore up our voting systems and set federal standards to maintain the integrity of our elections. It passed the House in June.
The SHIELD Act (H.R. 4617): The SHIELD Act closes loopholes that allow foreign interests to spend money to influence our elections and requires campaigns to report any offers of campaign assistance from foreign governments. It passed the House in October.
###