Topics in the News: Campaign Finance
Mike Pence on Government Reform
: Sep 22, 2020
Citizens United ruling victory for First Amendment
[On allowing unlimited corporate campaign donations]: "Freedom won today in the Supreme Court. Today's ruling in the Citizens United case takes us one step closer to the Founding Fathers' vision of free speech,
a vision that is cherished by all Americans and one Congress has a responsibility to protect. This decision is a victory on behalf of those who cherish the fundamental freedoms protected by the First Amendment." [Office Of Rep. Mike Pence, 1/21/10]
[As a US.Rep.], Pence introduced H.R. 1316, which would have "amended the Federal Election Campaign Act to repeal the limit on the aggregate amount of campaign contributions that may be made by individuals during an election cycle, to repeal the
limit on the amount of expenditures political parties may make on behalf of their candidates in general elections for federal office." The bill was never considered by the full House. [CRS via Congressional Quarterly, 7/13/05]
Click for Mike Pence on other issues.
Source: Trump Research Book on Mike Pence
Dean Phillips on Government Reform
: Apr 28, 2020
Disclose all election spending, including online ads
Dean's Priority: Campaign Finance Reform: Dean believes we must shine a bright light on the massive amount of so-called "dark money" being poured into our elections. That starts with passing the DISCLOSE Act, which would require public disclosure of all
spending in elections. Dean also supports the Honest Ads Act, which would apply the same disclosure standards to online ads that are applied to all other political ads and would help curb foreign influence in online political advertising.
Click for Dean Phillips on other issues.
Source: 2018 MN-3 House campaign website PhillipsForCongress.org
Bernie Sanders on Government Reform
: Nov 20, 2019
Enforce simple rule: every over 18 has the right to vote
People understand that the political system is corrupt. It is not just voter suppression, which cost the Democratic Party a governorship in this state, not just denying people of color the right to vote, we also have a system through Citizens United
which allows billionaires to buy elections. What we need to do, simple and straightforward, in every state in this country through the federal government, if you are 18, you have a right to vote,. We need to move toward public funding of elections.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: November Democratic primary debate in Atlanta
Bernie Sanders on Government Reform
: Apr 22, 2019
Citizens United is most disastrous decisions in history
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is backing an amendment to "abolish the Electoral College" introduced by Senator Brian Schatz, while Senators Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, and Bernie Sanders have signaled their willingness to address the Electoral College's
anti-democratic impact, as have former representative Beto O'Rourke and former housing secretary Julian Castro. Possible presidential contender Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, says: "The Electoral College needs to go, because
it's made our society less and less democratic." Buttigieg sees that move as part of a democracy agenda that includes ending gerrymandering, extending voting rights, and, probably, amending the Constitution to reverse the damage done by the
Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision. (Sanders has already proposed amendments to overturn Citizens United, which he decries as "one of the most disastrous decisions in [the Court's] history.")
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: The Nation, "Electoral College," on 2020 Democratic primary
Dean Phillips on Government Reform
: Feb 1, 2019
Backing bill to overturn Citizens United
Phillips is backing a bill that would overturn Citizens United, the 2010 Supreme Court ruling that allowed more election spending by corporations, labor unions and wealthy people. Phillips said, "In order to preserve our democracy,
we must come together to end the corrupting influence of money in politics--and we cannot do that until the Citizens United decision has been overturned."
Click for Dean Phillips on other issues.
Source: SW News Media on 2018 Congressional MN-3 election
Bernie Sanders on Government Reform
: Nov 27, 2018
Mainstream media focuses on gossip, lies, & personality
As a result of the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision, billionaires are now able to spend hundreds of millions of dollars anonymously in ugly TV ads demonizing candidates who dare stand up to them. The internet and social media now
allow for the worldwide transmission of total lies, and the capability of targeting those lies to susceptible populations.
Further, recent studies show what the average American has long known. More and more mainstream media political coverage is
devoted to gossip and issues of personality, and less and less to the major problems facing our country and the world. During the last presidential campaign, for example, there was almost no discussion devoted to climate change, the greatest
environmental crisis facing our planet. There was hardly a mention that in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, 40 million Americans live in poverty, or that we have the highest rate of childhood poverty of nearly any major country.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: Where We Go From Here, by Bernie Sanders, p.6
Tim Walz on Government Reform
: Oct 9, 2018
Limit corporate campaign donations, and disclose all
Q: Require political ads to disclose their largest funders?Jeff Johnson (R): Unknown.
Tim Walz (D): Yes. Co-sponsored 2012 DISCLOSE Act, requiring full disclosure of independent campaign expenditures.
Q: Support Citizens United decision,
allowing unlimited political donations from corporations & unions?
Johnson: Unknown.
Walz: No. Disagrees with Supreme Court decision that lifts limits on corporations' & unions' spending in US elections.
Click for Tim Walz on other issues.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Minnesota Governor race
Bernie Sanders on Government Reform
: Nov 15, 2016
SuperPACs: manifestation of everything wrong with politics
Raising money is the ugliest part of modern American politics, and I personally hate to do it. As a result of Citizens United, a bad fund-raising process became much worse. Nowadays, a serious run for the presidency requires somewhere around $1 billion.
As I've said many times, I'm going to do everything I can to bring about real campaign finance reform, overturn Citizens Untied, and move to public funding of elections. But that wasn't going to happen in this campaign.
As we contemplated the run for president, several things became clear in terms of fund-raising. First, I was not going to do what every other presidential candidate was doing, and that was to establish a super PAC. Super PACs, which allow for unlimited
contributions from wealthy people, are the exact manifestation of everything that is wrong with politics today. The idea of establishing one was tempting, and easy to do, but I wasn't going to do it.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: Our Revolution, by Bernie Sanders, p.113-4
Jill Stein on Government Reform
: Sep 27, 2016
No money from lobbyists; No money from SuperPACs
I am the only candidate in this race who is not taking money from lobbyists, from corporations--I do not have a super PAC to coordinate with or not. I'm the one candidate that actually has the freedom to stand up for what the American people are
clamoring for. That means an emergency jobs program, which will solve the emergency of climate change. It means bailing out the students, like they bailed out the crooks on Wall Street who crashed the economy. It's time to bail out the victims.
Click for Jill Stein on other issues.
Source: DemocracyNow interview on First 2016 Presidential Debate
Bernie Sanders on Government Reform
: Jul 9, 2016
Automatic voter registration; holiday for Election Day
[At the 2016 convention preparation], we were victorious in including amendments in the platform that made it the policy of the Democratic Party to fight for:- Moving to automatic voter registration and the public financing of elections, making
Election Day a federal holiday, eliminating super PAC's, and passing a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United; and
- Creating a comprehensive agenda to protect and expand the rights of Native Americans and indigenous communities.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: Where We Go From Here, by B. Sanders, p.16-7, on 2016 DNC
Bernie Sanders on Government Reform
: Mar 9, 2016
It's oligarchy when billionaires buy elections
I'm running for president because given the crises facing our country, it is just too late for establishment politics and establishment economics. Together we're going to have to overturn this disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision.
Billionaires and Wall Street should not be buying elections. We've got to end this rigged economy where people are working longer hours for low wages, almost all new income and wealth going to the top 1 percent, and of course, we need comprehensive
immigration reform and a path toward citizenship.
We know that we have got to combat climate change, transform our energy system, and leave this planet in a way that is healthy and habitable for our kids and our grandchildren.
Is it acceptable that
Wall Street and billionaires are spending hundreds of millions of dollars trying to buy elections? Is that democracy or this that oligarchy? Which is why I believe we've got to overturn Citizens United and move to public funding of elections.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: 2016 PBS Democratic primary debate in Miami
Bernie Sanders on Government Reform
: Feb 4, 2016
Overturn Citizens United: America is one person, one vote
Almost all new income is going to the top 1 percent. Then sustaining that rigged economy is a corrupt campaign finance system undermining democracy, where billionaires can contribute unlimited
sums of money into super PACs and into candidates. Our job is to create an economy that works for all and overturn Citizens United. One person, one vote. That's American democracy.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: MSNBC Democratic primary debate in New Hampshire
Bernie Sanders on Government Reform
: Feb 4, 2016
Litmus test for Supreme Court on Citizens United
You are not going to accomplish what has to be done for working families and the middle class unless there is campaign finance reform. So long as big money interests control the United States Congress, it is gonna be very hard to do what has to be done
for working families. So let me be very clear. No nominee of mine, if I'm elected president, to the United States Supreme Court will get that nomination unless he or she is loud and clear, and says they will vote to overturn Citizens United.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: MSNBC Democratic primary debate in New Hampshire
Bernie Sanders on Principles & Values
: Feb 3, 2016
Progressives don't have SuperPACs with $15M from Wall Street
Q: A lot of your supporters expressed their belief that Hillary Clinton was not a progressive, when she said this after the Iowa Caucuses:CLINTON [videotape]: It is rare that we have the opportunity we do now to have a real contest of ideas. To really
think hard about what the Democratic Party stands for and what we want the future of our country to look like if we do our part to build it. I am a progressive who gets things done for people.
SANDERS: Secretary Clinton has a long and distinguished
public career. I served with her in the Senate. We worked together on some issues. But there are other issues where I think she is just not progressive. I do not know any progressive who has a superPAC and takes $15 million from Wall Street. Secretary
Clinton voted to go to war in Iraq. Secretary Clinton has been a supporter of various trade policies, NAFTA and PNTR with China. For a long time, Secretary Clinton was talking about the benefits of the Keystone pipeline. That's just not progressive.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: 2016 N.H. CNN Democratic Town Hall
Donald Trump on Government Reform
: Oct 28, 2015
SuperPACs are a disaster and cause dishonesty
I am the only campaign that's self-funding. I'm putting up 100% of my own money. And so far, I've put up less than anybody and I have the best results. Wouldn't that be nice if the country could do that?I will be putting up tremendous amounts of
money. SuperPACs are a disaster. They're a scam. They cause dishonesty. And you better get rid of them because they are causing a lot of bad decisions to be made by some very good people. And I'm not blaming these folks--well, I guess I could.
Click for Donald Trump on other issues.
Source: GOP `Your Money/Your Vote` 2015 CNBC 1st-tier debate
Marco Rubio on Government Reform
: Oct 28, 2015
Mainstream media is a SuperPAC for Democrats
Donald TRUMP: SuperPACs are a disaster. They're a scam. They cause dishonesty. And you better get rid of them.RUBIO: The Democrats have the ultimate SuperPAC. It's called the mainstream media. For example, last week, Hillary
Clinton admitted she had sent e-mails to her family saying, "Hey, this attack at Benghazi was caused by Al Qaida-like elements." It was the week she got exposed as a liar, but she has her super PAC helping her out, the American mainstream media.
Click for Marco Rubio on other issues.
Source: GOP `Your Money/Your Vote` 2015 CNBC 1st-tier debate
Bernie Sanders on Government Reform
: Oct 13, 2015
Citizens United means billionaires donate for THEIR interest
As a result of this disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision, our campaign finance system is corrupt and is undermining American democracy. Millionaires and billionaires are pouring unbelievable sums of money into the political process in order
to fund super PACs and to elect candidates who represent their interests, not the interests of working people.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: 2015 CNN Democratic primary debate in Las Vegas
Bernie Sanders on Government Reform
: Sep 5, 2015
Public funding of elections to promote even playing field
The US, in theory, is a democratic republic, where the voices of the many are represented by those whom we elect to political office. But our government no longer represents most of us. Bernie says, "We need people who are ready to take on the handful
of billionaires holding the power, to tell them, 'Enough is enough. This country belongs to us. This government belongs to us.' " Here's how we do it:- Bernie wants to overturn Citizens United, a "disastrous Supreme Court decision" which allows
unlimited sums of money to be funneled into electoral politics.
- DISCLOSE Act: protect the integrity and transparency of federal elections by establishing disclosure requirements for all contributions.
- Public Funding of Elections: Bernie wants to
move towards public funding of elections to promote a more even playing field where all Americans can participate.
- Democracy Day: Bernie wants to celebrate democracy by creating a holiday to encourage voter turnout for elections.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: 2016 grassroots campaign website FeelTheBern.org, "Issues"
Bernie Sanders on Corporations
: Aug 30, 2015
Wall Street business model is a fraud & led us to recession
Q: You said that the same old, same old cannot win.SANDERS: People do not understand why the middle class of this country is collapsing at the same time as almost all of the new income and wealth is going to the top 1%. People do not like the idea
that, as a result of Citizens United, our campaign finance system has become corrupt and politicians are dependent upon super PACs and billionaires for money. People want us to deal with climate change, make college affordable.
Those are the issues I have been talking about.
Q: You also talk about taking on the billionaire class. Give us some specifics.
SANDERS: I think that the business model of Wall Street is fraud. And I think these guys drove us into the worst economic
downturn into the modern history of America. I think they're at it again. I believe that, when you have so few banks with so much power, you have to not only reestablish Glass-Steagall, but you have got to break them up.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: CNN SOTU 2015 interview series: 2016 presidential hopefuls
Mike Pence on Government Reform
: Apr 1, 2015
Campaign finance reform is on the road to political serfdom
Mike Pence voted against the McCain-Feingold Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act; declared the Citizens United ruling a "major victory." Pence joined Sen. Mitch McConnell's legal challenge to McCain-Feingold and attached a rider to Justice Department
funding that would have prevented DoJ from enforcing McCain-Feingold's ban on electioneering communication spending. He said, "We are on the road to serfdom in American politics with campaign-finance reform."
Click for Mike Pence on other issues.
Source: EndCitizensUnited.org on 2016 Veepstakes
Bernie Sanders on Government Reform
: Sep 14, 2014
Citizens United opens up the road to oligarchy
Q: Let me ask you on the billionaire front--SANDERS: The Koch brothers and the other billionaires are going to spend hundreds of millions of dollars. That is not a way you bring about change. We've got to mobilize the American people.
Q:
If a billionaire agrees with you on issues are you okay with them participating in the process?
SANDERS: I think Citizens United will go down in history as one of the worst Supreme Court decisions ever.
I think it is opening up the road to oligarchy, where the billionaires, like the Koch brothers--
Q: Left or right?
SANDERS: Left or right, but it's mostly right. It will always be. The Koch brothers are going to spend $400 million.
Do you know what their agenda is? They want to end Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid. More tax breaks for the rich and large corporations. Nobody in America wants that except the billionaire class. This is a real danger to American democracy.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.
Source: Meet the Press 2014 interviews of 2016 presidential hopefuls
Jill Stein on Government Reform
: Dec 21, 2011
PACs connect campaigns with rich donors, & disconnect public
Q: What are your views on campaign finance reform?A: We now have influence-peddling on steroids with Citizens United and the Super PACs. And Obama raising $1 billion for his campaign alone.
We have a political system which is completely disconnected with the public, and connected instead with those with deep pockets who can find these campaigns with such extreme amounts.
Click for Jill Stein on other issues.
Source: 2011 OnTheIssues interview with Jill Stein
Mike Pence on Government Reform
: Feb 8, 2008
Campaign Finance Reform is censorship
The future of conservatism demands that we oppose censorship, whether it takes the form of the so-called Fairness Doctrine or takes the form of Campaign Finance Reform.
Our freedom to speak and listen to who we want when we want is a blood-bought American right. We must not permit the Democrats to bring back the so-called Fairness Doctrine.
Click for Mike Pence on other issues.
Source: Speech at 2008 Conservative Political Action Conference
Page last updated: Dec 08, 2024
Error processing SSI file