New Vote On S. 1 Could Be Soon; Small Donor Financing Provisions Must Stay In Bill

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There are published reports today that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will schedule a second procedural vote in the coming days on the For the People Act.

This pending legislation will protect voting rights, stop Washington political money corruption, and prevent partisan gerrymandering. A companion bill, H.R. 1, passed the House in March.

Senate Republicans are expected to block the legislation by a filibuster as they did earlier in the year. This will further demonstrate that they are committed to using the filibuster to block any new federal voting rights legislation that would supersede the voter suppression laws enacted by Republican-controlled state legislatures across the country.

Meanwhile, a group of Senators has been working to prepare a revised version of S. 1, the For the People Act. The group includes Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), the only Democratic Senator who has not supported the original S. 1.

According to published reports, the Senators are close to reaching an agreement. One of the outstanding issues is whether to keep the small donor financing system for federal candidates that is contained in both S. 1. and in H.R. 1.

The small donor financing system is an alternative way for federal candidates to finance their campaigns free from the influence of corrupting political money.

Small donor financing has worked as demonstrated at the local and state levels and it creates opportunities for new candidates, including women and people of color, to run successfully for office.

Members of Congress operate in a corrupt campaign finance system today that is dominated by contributions from influence-seeking billionaires, millionaires, corporate executives, lobbyist, bundlers, Super PACs, special-interest PACs, and dark money nonprofit groups.

The impact of this pervasive influence-buying money is seen in the power that influence-money funders exercise over decisions made by Congress on climate change, tax laws, finance, drug prices and healthcare, tech policy, and many other policies.

If the corrupting influence of big money in Congress is to be brought under control, the new small donor financing system for federal elections must be enacted.