Cortez Masto cosponsors Constitutional Amendment to reverse Citizens United, get big money out of public elections

Statement

U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senators Tom Udall and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and colleagues in the Senate and House of Representatives, to reintroduce the Democracy for All Amendment, a constitutional amendment to get big money out of politics. This amendment would reverse a series of bad court decisions that have allowed corporations and private interests to funnel unlimited amounts of money into public elections and would restore power to the American people by granting Congress the authority to regulate and limit corporate spending on federal political campaigns.

"Citizens United opened the floodgates for big money in politics by wrongly allowing corporations and special interests to buy undue influence in American elections. It's time the effects of this disastrous ruling were reversed. A constitutional amendment putting the democratic process back in the hands of voters will help ensure that our government represents the will of Americans, not just the wealthy few."

BACKGROUND:

The Citizens United decision granted corporations and other private entities the First Amendment right to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence public elections. The Democracy for All Amendment returns the right to regulate elections to the people by clarifying that Congress and the states can set reasonable regulations on campaign finance and distinguish between individuals and corporations in the law.

Since the Citizens United decision, 19 states and nearly 800 municipalities have gone on record supporting a constitutional amendment to overturn the ruling. Millions of Americans have demonstrated their public support for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United that will allow Congress to reign in the outsized influence of unchecked money in politics.