Fred Wertheimer Testifies at Democratic Platform Committee Hearing
In testimony before the Democratic Platform Committee on Saturday, June 18, Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer supported the Clinton campaign finance reform plan and urged the Committee to include it in the party’s platform.
According to the testimony, key elements of the Clinton plan include creating a small donor, public matching funds system for federal candidates; overturning the disastrous Citizens United decision; and closing the gaping disclosure loopholes used to spend secret contributions in federal elections.
“In our view, the small donor, public matching funds approach is the most essential legislative reform needed to fix the campaign finance system,” Wertheimer testified.
“It goes without saying that our campaign finance system is completely broken,” Wertheimer testified. “Billionaires, millionaires and secret contributions are flooding our elections with big money in amounts never seen before. It is clear that the American people reject this system and want fundamental changes,” Wertheimer said.
According to Wertheimer’s testimony, “A system of matching small contributions with multiple public funds will empower ordinary Americans; greatly increase the value and importance of their small contributions; dilute the impact of big money; and allow federal candidates to run for office without becoming obligated to big money funders.”
Wertheimer testified that other key reforms also should be included in the platform including the need to create a new campaign finance enforcement agency to replace the dysfunctional, failed FEC, and to establish new rules to prohibit coordination between outside spending groups and candidates.
Wertheimer noted in his testimony the very important role Bernie Sanders played during the primaries in placing the campaign finance issue at the center of the national debate. He also pointed out that Senate and House Democrats are also expected to inject the campaign finance reform issue into the national debate during the coming months.
“In the past, commitments to pursue campaign finance reform have been made by Democratic presidential candidates before they were elected and were then ignored after they became president,” Wertheimer stated. He testified:
To show the American people that the campaign finance reform commitment is real this time, we recommend that statements along the following lines be included in the party’s platform:
– A Clinton administration will take campaign finance reform to the country as a national priority early in 2017 and for as long as it takes to win this battle for the American people.
– A Clinton administration will work with members of Congress to develop comprehensive campaign finance reform legislation and to have it introduced in Congress during the first hundred days of her presidency.
– A Clinton administration will devote the time, energy and resources necessary to win the campaign finance reform battle.
Wertheimer’s testimony concluded:
The American people want fundamental changes in our campaign finance system.
A failure by Washington to deliver on this will create an even more disaffected and more cynical public than currently exists about Washington and our elected representatives. The battle for fundamental campaign finance reform must be fought and must be won.
