Butterfield Says SCOTUS Ruling on McCutcheon v. FEC is a ‘Cruel April Fool's Joke'

Press Release

Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today expressed grave concern over the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, which strikes down contribution limits for individual campaign donors by claiming that it restricts First Amendment rights.

Butterfield said, "The Supreme Court has ruled to drown out the voice of the common man in elections by, again, empowering those with vast monetary resources. Since the Citizens United decision, the massive infusion of corporate financing has dramatically altered the electoral process, making it more difficult for the interests of everyday Americans to be heard. This will occur more widely as a result of the McCutcheon decision.

"Freedom of speech is one of the most important tenets of our Constitution; however, extending this right to corporations and eliminating limits on individual campaign contributions has the unintended effect of empowering the wealthy and special interest groups at the cost of the common American.

"This is a game changer, and a cruel April Fool's joke."

Butterfield is a cosponsor of H.R. 20, the Government By the People Act, which was introduced to address the imbalance in political influence since the Court tossed out corporate campaign spending bans in 2010.

"There's no question that this is a clear win for the Republican Party and their efforts to dismantle fair elections."

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