Polis Fights to Protect Public Financing for Presidential Campaigns

Press Release

In a effort to ensure that that people--not special interests--determine the outcome of American elections, Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) today fought against a House GOP measure to end public financing for presidential campaigns.

"When the middle class is suffering and job creation is our top priority, why does the GOP continue to talk about giving more power to big-money contributors to presidential campaigns?" said Polis. "With every election more and more dollars are spent by corporations and special interests on campaigns, inflicting great damage on the American people's trust in government. After the Supreme Court's terrible decision on Citizens United we need the exact opposite--true, reasonable campaign finance reform."

By eliminating the Presidential Election Fund, GOP leadership, via H.R. 359, would further open the door for large political spenders (foreign-owned entities, large corporations and other powerful special interests) to enjoy an even greater role in the funding of political campaigns after the Supreme Court allowed uninhibited special interest spending in elections and unlimited corporate influence over public policy debate in Citizens United.

Congressman Polis offered an amendment that would preserve the important mechanism of public financing of campaigns and do it in a fiscally responsible way, by funding the Presidential Election Fund with voluntary individual and joint donations of tax refunds instead of using a voluntary set-aside from total taxes paid. The amendment would also allow taxpayers to contribute any amount of their refunds to the fund instead of donating a maximum of $3 per individual filing and $6 per joint filing of their tax liability, providing an opportunity to have a solvent and strong fund without taking away from general revenue. Despite saving taxpayers an estimated $422 million, Republican leadership ruled the amendment out of order.

"Yes, our campaign finance system is broken, but it needs to be repaired not eliminated," said Polis. "The People's House should not be spending its time cutting off the people's connection to the White House. We must protect the Presidential Campaign Fund, protect the people's trust in government, and provide a fair way of electing our leaders."

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