From the Center for American Progress (http://www.americanprogress.org):
There was no bigger issue defining the midterm elections than the culture of corruption that we’ve witnessed in Washington. But people didn’t just want Democrats to put a check on Republicans; they wanted to fundamentally fix Washington. Only then can Congress truly focus on the people’s priorities, such as higher-paying jobs, more affordable healthcare, and cleaner air and water.
House Democrats are moving to address corruption, revealing as their very first bill the most sweeping government reform package since Watergate. Its aim? Dismantling the culture of corruption and ensuring that government works for everyone, not just millionaires and corporations.
Here are some key elements of the bill:
- Campaign finance reforms, including incentives for candidates to focus on small-dollar donations and requirements for “dark money” political organizations to make their donors public.
- Major ethics reforms, including strengthened oversight and enforcement. Key here: The president must disclose his or her tax returns.
- Members of Congress will also be prevented from using taxpayer dollars to buy first-class airplane tickets or to settle sexual harassment suits.
- Voting rights protections, including national automatic voter registration, passing an updated Voting Rights Act, combatting partisan gerrymandering and voter suppression, and increasing election security (something the current administration is adamant about NOT doing).
it’s time to start showing that government can start working for the people.
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