H.R. 1, the For the People Act, is unprecedented, holistic legislation to repair our political system. It addresses fundamental problems including Washington influence-money corruption, voter suppression, extreme partisan gerrymandering and the misuse of public office for private gain.

Democracy 21 played a central role in the successful effort in the House this year to pass the For the People Act to repair and strengthen the rules of our democracy, and in building support for its companion Senate measure (S.949) which was introduced with all 47 Senate Democrats on the bill. We worked closely on this effort with Representative John Sarbanes (D-MD) and Senator Tom Udall (D-NM), the lead sponsors of the House and Senate bills, and with the House and Senate Democratic leadership.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Rules Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) have recognized our efforts, citing Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer for “tireless leadership” and “extraordinary advocacy” on behalf of the democracy reform package.

The reforms contained in H.R. 1 include small donor public financing for presidential and congressional races, disclosure laws to end secret money in our elections, automatic voter registration, repairing the Voting Rights Act, nonpartisan redistricting commissions, election security provisions, and ethics reforms for the Executive Branch and Congress.

The most important anti-corruption measure in the bill would create a new small donor, public matching funds system for presidential and congressional candidates. Without this alternative means to finance their campaigns, officeholders will remain trapped in the vice-like grip of influence-seeking funders, and Washington political money corruption will continue unabated.

Democracy 21 developed or helped develop a number of the campaign finance reform proposals in H.R. 1. They include the proposals to create a small donor, public matching funds system, to close the gaping disclosure loopholes that have allowed undisclosed “dark money” contributions to pour into federal elections, to eliminate Super PACs that support only one candidate, to strengthen the rules prohibiting coordination between candidates and outside spending groups and to repair the dysfunctional Federal Election Commission.

The partisan polarization in the country and in Congress makes enacting reforms to revitalize our democracy challenging at this stage.

But we have a secret weapon in this battle: the American people overwhelmingly want an end to Washington corruption and to special interest influence over government decisions.