Deborah Ross Lays Out Plan to Hold Washington Accountable to North Carolina Voters

Press Release

Deborah Ross, Democratic nominee for US Senate, today outlined her plan to increase ethics and accountability in Congress so that Washington, DC works for the people, not politicians and special interests. Deborah, who was recognized as a leader on ethics and election reform in the state legislature, unveiled her plan which includes cracking down on the revolving door between Congress and K Street, eliminating taxpayer subsidies for lobbyists, ending pay-to-play schemes for government contractors, and standing up against special interest dark money in elections. Deborah's ethics plan is part of her "Putting People First" initiative that she announced at the beginning of August to ensure that the people of North Carolina, not the special interests, are the priority of their next US Senator.

Deborah's focus on cleaning up politics offers a stark contrast to incumbent Senator Richard Burr, who was one of only three Senators to vote against banning insider trading for Members of Congress. Burr also introduced and pushed bills that would benefit his stock holdings.

"Senator Burr is the classic example of what's wrong with Washington. He's one of only three Senators to vote against a ban on insider trading for Members of Congress, all while he pushed bills that would benefit his investments," said Deborah. "That's not right, and it's why I am laying out a plan that will help clean up politics and increase accountability for members of Congress. North Carolina's voters should never have to question whether their Senators are putting people first--and that's why it is time for a change."

In the State House, Deborah championed bipartisan ethics reform and took on the special interests. She fought to end pay-to-play, added transparency to campaign contributions and outlawed special interest perks. She also led the effort to make sure politicians could no longer use their campaign funds for personal items.

Deborah's plan is outlined below and available here.

Deborah Ross's "Putting People First" Ethics Plan

Crack down on the revolving door with a 10-year ban on lobbying for every former lawmaker. Right now, more than half of former Members of Congress retired from lawmaking so they could turn around and lobby their former colleagues. Senators should be solely focused on the needs of the people that sent them there, not paving their way to a lucrative lobbying career on K Street. In 2007, ethics scandals forced Washington to institute a 2-year cooling off period between Senators' retirement and lobbying. But since then, Americans are no more convinced that their government isn't captured by special interests--in fact, they feel things have gotten worse. As your United States Senator, I'll support shutting down the revolving door by ensuring lawmakers can't become lobbyists for a full decade after they leave office. North Carolinians should never have to question whether their Senator is putting lobbyists or the people first.

Eliminate taxpayer subsidies for lobbyists. There are many commonsense changes we can make to our tax code that will help us compete in the 21st century economy and help middle-class families keep more of what they earn. And while there's no question that reforming our tax code will require hard decisions about how to shape a system that works best for the people and businesses of North Carolina, we should all be able to agree that lobbyists don't deserve special tax breaks. As your United States Senator, I will champion proposals to eliminate tax breaks for lobbyists--and the savings could raise more than half a billion dollars to invest in our future over the next decade.

Eliminate pay-to-play schemes for government contractors. Existing law already prohibits corporations and individuals doing business directly with the federal government from making contributions in federal elections. But this law has too many loopholes, and doesn't apply the same prohibitions to executives, lobbyists, and political action committees for federal contractors. Meanwhile, evidence shows that increased political contributions correspond with more success in landing government contracts. As your United States Senator, I'll support proposals that close these loopholes and crack down on pay-to-play schemes for government contractors. Our government should do business with companies that do the best work at the best value for the American taxpayer, not whichever gives the most to Senators' reelection campaigns.

Clean up our elections and bring special interest dark money out of the shadows-- because voters have a right to know. The American people deserve to know who is spending on the political ads that flood the airwaves every election season. Unfortunately, a series of Supreme Court decisions--including Citizens United, McCutcheon, and Buckley --have created an unprecedented wave of special interest dark money. As your United States Senator, I'll support efforts to bring more transparency to our election system, so special interests can't hide their support for any candidate from voters, and shadowy, unaccountable groups can't swing our elections. Voters have a right to know who is spending money to influence our elections and empower the elected officials of their choosing.

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