Citizens United 10 Years Later: Sens. Shaheen, Udall, Rep. Sarbanes, Good Government Groups Hold Telepresser to Outline How the Court’s Ruling Has Changed the Political Landscape
WHAT: Media call at 10 a.m. EST Wednesday, Jan. 15, with U.S. Sens. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), U.S. Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) and national organizations to mark 10 years after Citizens United. Sarbanes along with national pro-democracy organizations People For the American Way, Public Citizen, End Citizens United Action Fund, Democracy 21, the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, US PIRG and Common Cause will highlight the continuing harm caused by the 10-year-old Citizens United ruling and related court decisions and the growth of a pro-reform movement focusing on the scourge of money in politics. The groups also will release significant new research on trends since the decision.
Ten years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United opened the floodgates to a wave of special-interest spending in our elections. This spending has distorted our political process, robbed citizens of authentic representation in Congress and local government, and prioritized corporate agendas among lawmakers. It plays a large role in the slow action on citizens’ true priorities including health care, commonsense gun safety legislation, action to address climate change and more.
Growing awareness of this problem has spurred a movement for serious and consequential money in politics reforms, which are being enacted in states and localities and have been embraced at the national level. Speakers on this call will address the future of the reform movement and the work of people across the country to reclaim our democracy.
WHEN: 10 a.m. EST Wednesday, Jan. 15
WHO: Sens. Tom Udall, (D-N.M.), and Jeanne Shaheen, (D-N.H.), are leading the effort in the U.S. Senate to pass reforms addressing the issue of money in politics, and will address the urgent need for the Democracy for All Amendment.
Rep. John Sarbanes, (D-Md.), is spearheading the effort in Congress to fight big money in politics and will talk about progress made as well as reforms that are still needed.
Robert Weissman, president, Public Citizen, will present the top 10 ways the impact of Citizens United is being felt.
Marge Baker, executive vice president for policy and program for People For the American Way (PFAW), and Rio Tazewell, PFAW senior campaign manager, will review progress in the movement to amend the Constitution to overturn Citizens United via the Democracy for All amendment, including nationwide success on local and state resolutions.
Dan Weiner, deputy director of the election reform program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, will provide legal background on the Citizens United ruling.
Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21, will address what we can do to counter and combat Citizens United while the decision is the law of the land.
Tiffany Muller, president, End Citizens United Action Fund, will connect the dots between Citizens United and the impasse on critical policy agenda items such as climate change, health care, prescription drug prices, and gun safety.
Karen Hobert Flynn, president of Common Cause, will provide an overview of local and state-level reform work by Common Cause affiliates.
Joseph Ready, democracy program director, US PIRG, will review progress cities and states have made tackling the problem of big money in politics.
DIAL-IN INFO: Contact Angela Bradbery at abradbery@citizen.org or (202) 588-7741 for information.