Earlier this month, we saw the U.S. Supreme Court deal another blow to our democracy. While
Citizens United
opened the floodgates for a wave of money into our elections, the
McCutcheon
decision lets that money flow to unlimited candidates - all across the country.
As I said at the time,
McCutcheon
should be the breaking point that forces Washington to permanently reform the campaign finance system. Today I'm pleased to report my constitutional amendment is gaining momentum, and that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has cosponsored the measure. That brings us to 35 senators who agree we need a constitutional amendment to ensure our government is of, by and for the people - not bought and paid for by secret donors and special interests.
Tomorrow, there will be a
hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration on this very issue. I'm a member of the Rules Committee, and I'll be there to make my case for why we need to take action.
My
amendment
is simple: it will restore authority to the American people, through Congress and the states, to regulate campaign finance. Most importantly, it would enable Congress to pass reforms that withstand constitutional challenges - meaning five justices on the U.S. Supreme Court could no longer allow wealthy individuals with unlimited cash to drown out the voices of regular voters.
One of the four dissenting justices in the
Citizens United
decision, retired Justice John Paul Stevens has called for such an amendment, and tomorrow, he will be testifying at the hearing.
I look forward to his thoughts, and I hope you'll join the debate online during the live webcast, using #backtothepeople.
Amending the Constitution is hard - and it should be. But it is not impossible.
More than 15 states and hundreds of local governments across the country
have called on
Congress to take action, showing strong public support for reform from all sides of the political spectrum.
It's going take a lot of voices, and I'll need your help to convince others why we must pass an amendment.
On Wednesday, I hope you'll join the debate at our hearing, and spread the word using #backtothepeople. Together, we can make sure our democracy functions the way our founders intended, and put our elections back in the hands of 'we the people'.
Udall Constitutional Amendment on Campaign Finance by Tom Udall
