-By Kristen Gwynne
November 1, 2011- People for the American Way (PFAW) is officially commending Senators Tom Udall (D-NM) and Michael Bennet (D-CO), among others, for introducing and supporting a constitutional amendment to reverse the Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission ruling that upheld corporate personhood and protected the right of corporations, as people with protected free speech, to throw money into politics.
According to the StatesColumn.com
Mr. Udall’s proposal would authorize Congress to regulate the raising and spending of money for federal political campaigns, including independent expenditures, and allow states to regulate such spending at their level. It would also provide for implementation and enforcement of the amendment through legislation.
As Udall said at a press conference, “Letting this go unchecked is a threat to our democracy. Campaigns should be about the best ideas, not the biggest checkbooks."
Marge Baker, Executive Vice President PFAW, released this statement:
“In Citizens United, the Supreme Court put our democracy up for sale, and as a result, a constitutional amendment is the only way to completely stop the flood of special interest spending in our election system. I commend Senators Udall, Bennet, Harkin and the other supporters for taking this step toward bringing integrity and transparency back to the electoral process. The American people – not deep pocketed corporations – should be the loudest voice when we choose our leaders.”
According to PFAW,
Groups supporting a constitutional amendment to reverse the damage caused by Citizens United have collected over 750,000 signatures.
Sign their petition to curb corporate influence here.