Latest News
“Congress can’t function on the great national issues of the day under the system we’ve got. The time is now to go to voluntary public funding.”
- Alan SimpsonFormer Senator from Wyoming
ACR Chair
Latest News
Kerrey: Time for a Campaign Finance Transplant
Monday, May 3rd, 2010
The corrupting influence of big money in politics did not begin with the Supreme Court ruling. For years, we’ve been
applying Band-Aids to a system of special-interest-funded elections that’s rotten at the core. New limits will not change the fact that politicians continue to rely on millions of dollars from Wall Street banks, pharmaceutical companies, Big Oil, labor unions and other wealthy interests to run for re-election.
Speth: A cleaner Earth starts with cleaner elections
Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
The energy industry, including oil and gas, electric utilities, mining, and waste management, contributed an astonishing $455 million to candidates for the House and Senate between 1990 and 2006. Members of the Senate and House received an average of $161,423 and $43,658 respectively in just the first seven months of 2008. To put this in perspective, the energy industry contributed 20 times more than environmental groups between 1990 and 2008.
Is it any surprise that Congress has been unable to shape a sound national energy policy based on scientific evidence and the needs of all our people, not just the monied interests?
A way to clean up politics: public campaign funding
Sunday, March 7th, 2010
In his New York Times op-ed, “Why I’m Leaving the Senate,” Sen. Evan Bayh outlined a number of obstacles that are preventing Congress from successfully conducting business, from excessive partisanship to the abuse of the filibuster. We share Bayh’s concern about the unwillingness of many officeholders to rise above petty politics and come together to face our nation’s many challenges.
Rudman: How to fix the Senate?
Sunday, February 21st, 2010
The Post asked former politicians and others to name one idea — other than reforming the much-discussed filibuster — that might get Congress moving. Below are contributions from Mack McClarty, Norman J. Ornstein, Mark J. Penn, Warren Rudman, Sarah Binder and Forrest Maltzman, Dana Perino, and Rob Richie.
Republicans losing their way on campaign finance reform
Friday, February 5th, 2010
It’s time to return to our roots and take up Teddy Roosevelt’s challenge from over a century ago by enacting the only real and lasting solution I know: citizen-funded elections. Under the proposed Fair Elections Now Act, sponsored by more than 130 members of Congress, money from special interests would be replaced by small donations from constituents and matching federal funds. Matching funds, raised through a fee on large-scale government contracts, would go to serious, hardworking candidates who demonstrate a broad base of public support and who say no to large donations.
What Price Politics?
Thursday, February 4th, 2010
A binge of special interest money seems inevitable unless Congress acts quickly — before this year’s election — to repair the damage from the Supreme Court ruling that ended restraints on campaign spending by corporations and unions.
High-Court Hypocrisy
Monday, February 1st, 2010
What’s the remedy? A constitutional amendment is tempting, but tampering with the First Amendment is a bad idea. The best option is Sen. Dick Durbin’s ingenious campaign-reform bill. The idea, which already works well in New York City and other localities, is to set up a public-financing system that rewards candidates who attract small donors. House candidates, for example, who raise at least $50,000 in donations of $100 or less would be eligible for $900,000 in public money. The president must move the bill to the center of his agenda and mobilize his 13 million 2008 contributors to pressure Congress to enact it.
Audio: The Future of Campaign Finance
Monday, February 1st, 2010
A major US Supreme Court decision earlier this month reversed two decades of legal precedent and relaxed restrictions on how corporations can get involved in political campaigns. We’ll look at this decision, what it means and how it may affect the country’s political landscape and New Hampshire’s elections.
Al Simpson and David Sirota discuss campaign finance
Friday, January 29th, 2010
From Progressive Talk – AM 760
Video: John Rauh on NH Public Television
Friday, January 29th, 2010
Supporters of campaign finance reform were dealt a blow this week by the U.S. Supreme Court. They ruled that corporations have essentially the same rights as citizens when it comes to making political speeches. We hear from special guests about the decision including John Rauh, founder of Americans for Campaign Reform; Buzz Scherr, ACLU national board member and law professor; and Charlie Arlinghaus, president of the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy. We will also hear from campaign finance advocate Granny “D” who celebrates her 100th birthday this week.