Reform Groups Today Urge Two Additional Congressional Committees to Investigate and Hold Hearings on Dysfunctional FEC

Americans for Campaign Reform – Campaign Legal Center – Common CauseDemocracy 21 – CREW – League of Women Voters Public Campaign – Public Citizen – U.S. PIRG Yesterday, nine reform groups sent letters to the Chairman and Ranking Minority Members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and […]

Reform Groups Urge Vote Against Any Amendment to H.R. 1 to Restrict Funds from Being Used to Implement the Presidential Public Financing System

Americans for Campaign Reform – Brennan Center for Justice – Campaign Legal Center Common Cause – CREW – Democracy 21 – League of Women Voters People For the American Way – Public Campaign – Public Citizen – U.S. PIRG Our organizations strongly urge you to oppose any amendment that may be offered to H.R. 1, the FY […]

Reform Groups Urge Senators to Oppose McConnell Bill to Repeal Presidential Funding System and Turn Presidency Over to Big Money

Americans for Campaign Reform – Brennan Center for JusticeCampaign Legal Center – Common Cause – Democracy 21League of Women Voters – People For the American WayPublic Campaign – Public Citizen – U.S. PIRG In a letter sent to the Senate today, reform organizations strongly urged Senators to "oppose S. 194, legislation introduced by Senate Republican […]

Democracy 21: Tax Checkoff is not a Poll, Actual Polls Have Shown Public Support for the Presidential Public Financing System

Below is a letter sent to House members today that challenges the claim that the response rate on the tax check-off shows the public is opposed to the presidential public financing system. Tax Checkoff is not a Poll, Actual Polls Have Shown Public Support for the Presidential Public Financing System                                                                       January 26, 2011                                                                                       […]

Democracy 21 Slams House Republicans for Passing Legislation to Turn the Presidency Over to Influence-Seeking Big Donors, Bundlers and Corporate and Other Outside Spenders

Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer In passing legislation today to repeal the presidential public financing system, House Republicans voted to turn the presidency over to influence-seeking big donors, bundlers and corporate and other outside spenders. This battle now moves to the Senate where the legislation must be defeated. Democracy 21 greatly appreciates President […]

Tax Checkoff is not a Poll, Actual Polls Have Shown Public Support for the Presidential Public Financing System

Democracy 21 Letter to House Members                                                                                                                   Dear Representative, This responds to the argument that the public opposes the presidential public financing system because only a single digit percent of taxpayers use the check-off on their annual returns. 1. The check off is not a poll and should not be treated as a poll. […]

Obama Administration Statement Strongly Opposing H.R. 359, Legislation to Repeal the Presidential Public Financing System

  EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENTOFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGETWASHINGTON, D.C. 20503 January 25, 2011(House Rules)  STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY H.R. 359 – Termination of Public Financing of Presidential Campaigns and Party Conventions (Rep. Cole, R–Oklahoma, and 18 cosponsors)   The Administration strongly opposes House passage of H.R. 359 because it is critical that the […]

Reform Groups Urge House Members to Vote on Wednesday Against House Bill (H.R. 359) to Repeal Presidential Public Financing System

Americans for Campaign Finance Reform – Brennan Center for Justice – Campaign Legal Center – Common Cause Democracy 21- League of Women Voters – People For the American Way Public Campaign- Public Citizen – U.S. PIRG                      In a letter sent today, reform groups strongly urged House members “to oppose H.R. 359, […]

Fact Sheet on the Presidential Public Financing System

The 1974 Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA), enacted in response to the Watergate scandal, fundamentally reformed the rules governing campaign financing in federal elections. The hallmark of this legislation was the creation of a voluntary program of public financing for presidential elections. This innovative reform, which stands to this day as the flagship of public […]

January 21, 2011: A Day to Keep Moving Forward to Mitigate the Enormous Damage Done by the Citizens United Decision

By: Fred Wertheimer On January 21, 2010, one year ago tomorrow, five Supreme Court Justices issued a disastrous decision that initiated a dangerous sea change in American politics. The Supreme Court by a 5 to 4 vote in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission struck down a century of U.S. policy and decades of Court […]