Received this e-mail today from Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D. IL):
I love my job. I love helping solve problems and bringing about positive change for Illinois and for our country.
But there's one part of politics that really needs to change -- and that's how we finance our elections.
That's why, this week, I introduced the Fair Elections Now Act, a bill that would restore confidence in our broken campaign system, curb the growing influence of big money, and allow candidates to fully devote their time and energy to effectively representing their constituents.
It sounds like common sense, but the truth is, most Republican politicians hate my bill. They like the system that the Supreme Court's misguided Citizens United decision put into place -- a system that makes it completely legal for their powerful corporate friends to pour unlimited amounts of money into elections.
So I have no doubt this is going to be an uphill battle. But it's absolutely worth fighting for before these shadowy corporate interests gain an even stronger hold on our democracy. As progressives, we must band together and build widespread grassroots support for the Fair Elections Now Act. Will you help?
Click here to show your support for the Fair Elections Now Act. Become a citizen co-sponsor today.
http://www.dickdurbin.com/...
The Fair Elections Now Act would encourage congressional candidates to participate in elections without taking money from special interests or big donors. Candidates instead who agreed to limit their spending to amounts raised from grassroots donors would receive grants from the Fair Election Fund and discounts on advertising.
Furthermore, the innovative "My Voice Tax Credit" would help counter the extreme influence secret big-money donors have now by encouraging more middle class folks to contribute to campaigns.
In the 2012 election season, countless shadowy right-wing groups, like Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS, funneled huge amounts of cash into campaigns to defeat Democrats. And because these front groups don't have to disclose the corporations and billionaires funding them, there is zero accountability.
That system of relying on big donors is damaging to our elections process and has the potential to permanently damage our democracy.
As you can imagine, it's not going to be easy to pass the Fair Elections Now Act -- even though it would not add a dime to the deficit. Special interests are fighting tooth-and-nail to keep their secret, unregulated, manipulative practices the norm. But if we don't fight to preserve our democratic process, there's little we will be able to fight for in the future.
Click here to become a citizen co-sponsor of the Fair Elections Now Act -- my legislation that would curb the incessant and dangerous influence of big money in campaigns.
http://www.dickdurbin.com/...
Thank you for your help on this important issue.
Yours,
Dick Durbin
U.S. Senator