General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAnybody know what the "Government By the People Act" is?
from my email, an anti-union, pro-TPP "Democrat" wants me to support the "Government By the People Act" which he says is endorsed by "PIRG".
We get big money out of politics.
Thats why I signed on today as an original cosponsor of the Government By the People Act.
Thats how we can start making Congress accountable to you again.
Thats what we must do to stop the Kochs and others from opening their fat checkbooks to buy influence and loopholes in legislation.
For years, Ive worked in Congress to reduce the influence of big money, special interests. The Government By the People Act does that while increasing your voice and the power of your vote.
Want to know more? Here's more about the bill.
Tierra_y_Libertad
(50,414 posts)brooklynite
(94,483 posts)The Bill is being introduced today. Key elements are:
Encourage the participation of everyday Americans in the funding of campaigns by providing a refundable $25 My Voice Tax Credit. This would bring the voices of the broader public into the funding side of campaigns and democratize the relationship between money and speech.
● Establish a Freedom From Influence Matching Fund to boost the power of small-dollar contributions. To be eligible for these matching funds, a candidate would have to agree to a limit on large donations and demonstrate broad-based support from a network of small-dollar contributors. Amplified by the Freedom From Influence Matching Fund, the voices of everyday Americans would be as powerful as those of big donors.
● Provide candidates with an opportunity to earn additional resources in the homestretch of a campaign so that the voices of the people are not completely drowned out by super political action committees and other dark-money interests. In the wake of Citizens United, this kind of support is critical to ensuring that citizen-backed candidates have staying power.
Nancy Pelosi and John Sarbanes have a Washington Post op-ed supporting it.
Endorsing Organizations:
Alliance for Justice
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
Americans for Campaign Reform
Brennan Center
Campaign for Community Change
Common Cause
CREDO Action
CWA
Demos
Democracy for America
Food and Water Watch
Franciscan Action Network
Friends of Democracy
NAACP
National Peoples Action
NEA
OurTime.org
People for the American Way
PICO National Network
Progressive Change Campaign Committee
Progressives United
Progress Now
Public Campaign
Public Campaign Action Fund
Public Citizen
Rebuild the Dream
Represent.Us
Roostrikers
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Sierra Club
International Brotherhood of
Teamsters
UAW
USAction
USPIRG
Voices for Progress
Wolf PAC
Working Families
Laelth
(32,017 posts)That, of course, means it will never pass the House, but I am glad the issue is being discussed.
-Laelth
NobodyHere
(2,810 posts)However I fear the only practical effect is to have more annoying tv campaign ads air during election season.
liberal_at_heart
(12,081 posts)RC
(25,592 posts)Am I reading that right?
Scuba
(53,475 posts)eossipov
(6 posts)I think HR20 has got a shot. I really do. The list up there is partial, it's being added to every minute, Whole Cities are calling in supporting it. It went from taking signatures last night at 4:30 when I saw it and grabbed it, to this morning listing all the supporters.
The Time is now. This is the best shot we will have at this, we need to grab the golden ring and hold on fast.
Advocate for it, call your friends, family, send a letter to the editor of your paper, call, tweet, send a fax, and then get 5 other people to do the same.
For the first time in well over two years, I feel hope starting to stir, and hope is a very powerful thing.
~e