Today, I released my plan to fix a broken Washington and restore accountability and transparency to the political process. It's no secret that unless we address these process issues head on, all the other policies we care about -- a public option, equality in the military, extending unemployment benefits, ending tax benefits for companies that ship jobs overseas -- will be in jeopardy.
The driving idea behind my plan is that our democracy is about one person, one vote, not one corporation or one special interest, one vote. The political process must not be subverted by corporate spending without transparency. That's why my plan includes a constitutional amendment that allows Congress to ban corporate financing of political campaigns, something I wrote a diary about last week. The recent Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case undermines the core American value that guarantees that our voters, not special-interest groups and corporations, decide the future of our country.
Some of the provisions of my plan designed to end corrupting influences include:
-Instituting a 10 year ban on members of Congress becoming lobbyists and increasing and strengthening lobbyist disclosure and transparency,
-Eliminating special perks for members of Congress, including ending automatic pay increases,
-Shining a light on the inner workings of Washington by subjecting Congress to the Freedom of Information Act and making information more accessible, and
-Improving government efficiency by reversing the Bush era trend toward no bid and single bidder contracts.
My opponent Congressman Portman spent two decades in Washington as a lobbyist, a congressman and Bush's Trade Czar and budget chief and is literally a poster boy of the problem. He has been called "Mr. Washington" by the Washington Post, the "Quintessential Washington Insider" by CQ and a "Consummate Washington inside player" by the Associated Press. He's undeniably the candidate for special interests, and is the #1 GOP recipient of lobbyist cash and #2 recipient of Wall Street campaign funds.
Today, if you're looking for where Republicans stand on issues that are important to Ohioans, look no further than right in front of us - blocking the path to progress. The "Party of No" is standing in the way of crucial legislation passing the U.S. Senate - this Congress, they've been on the fast track to setting a record number of filibusters. That's why my plan also includes a strong push to end the filibuster.
Now more than ever, we need to be focused on creating good paying jobs and rebuilding the middle class, not obstructing Congress with parliamentary tactics and manipulation because of petty partisan politics. To this end, I'm also calling for the elimination of secret holds on legislation and requiring that holds be bipartisan or else expire within days.
It's time for Ohioans to stand up and demand that Washington be held up to the light. Americans deserve to know what's going on in their nation's capital. They should be able to shape the future that they choose for their families and their communities without interference from special interest groups or corporations. My plan to clean up Washington is going to move America forward on the path to accountability and transparency - where government is for the people again.
You can read my full plan here on my website.
I hope you'll become a part of our campaign by signing up for email updates, following our campaign on Twitter and liking our page on Facebook, and contributing to help us get our message out.
I'll be in the comments at 12:30 talking about my Good Government plan and what our next steps should be. In particular, I'm interested in hearing what issues you are most concerned might be blocked by Republican obstructionism if we don't pass substantive reform soon. I hope you'll post questions, and I look forward to answering them.