From Common Cause (http://www.commoncause.org):
The For the People Act is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fundamentally shift power away from wealthy special interests and put it in the hands of everyday people.
Despite some misinformed media reports, after all 50 Senate Democrats voted to proceed to debate the bill in late June, the For the People Act is very much alive, with upcoming hearings planned and an opportunity for us to push hard to get this across the finish line. We have to keep fighting and keeping this bill as strong as possible as the Senate charts the path forward.
We need to make sure that small donor public financing remains part of the For the People Act. Please send a message to our senators today at https://actionnetwork.org/letters/write-your-senator-demand-a-big-bold-and-complete-for-the-people-act telling them that you support citizen-funded elections and they should, too.
One of the most transformational ways it empowers everyday Americans is with a nationwide small-donor citizen-funded elections system. Citizen-funded elections would take power away from corporations and special interest groups and put it in the hands of the people.
It would open doors for candidates of all backgrounds to compete for office, make candidates less reliant on special interest donors, and make elected officials more responsive to the broad base of community members funding their campaigns.
Here’s how it works: whenever someone makes a small-dollar contribution to a candidate they believe in — $10 here, $25 there — that contribution is matched by a fund that comes from fines on corporate lawbreakers and wealthy tax cheats. This lets candidates focus on appealing to individual voters — instead of dialing for big money dollars.
Similar reforms have already been implemented around the country in dozens of states and localities, from Arizona to Maine. And, it’s working to produce a more diverse candidate pool, a more responsive government, and policies that real people–not large corporations–want and need. Plus, it doesn’t cost taxpayers a cent.
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