If you ask the man (or
woman) on the street why Congress can’t get anything done, he (or she) will
almost certainly blame it on money – the huge sums that corporations and their
lobbyists sluice through Capitol Hill every day. No matter what your favorite cause is –
cutting military spending, saving the environment, improving transportation,
reforming education, reducing health care costs – you won’t get it done because
of money – corruption. And if it’s not
campaign money that’s offered, it’s the opportunity of a high-paying job in a
lobbying firm. So the American
Anti-Corruption Act is the gateway issue.
Until we fix this problem, we’ll make no progress anywhere else.
About the Act
The Act was crafted by former
Federal Election Commission chairman Trevor Potter in consultation with dozens
of strategists, democracy reform leaders, and constitutional attorneys from
across the political spectrum.
The Act would transform how
elections are financed, how lobbyists influence politics, and how political
money is disclosed. It’s a sweeping proposal that would reshape the rules of
American politics, and restore ordinary Americans as the most important
stakeholders instead of the major donors. The Act enjoys support from
progressives and conservatives alike.
Constitutional attorneys confirm
that the provisions are
constitutional. The Act is being championed by the Represent.Us campaign.
Why Not A Constitutional Amendment ?
We wish our friends at MoveToAmend
well, but we think a constitutional amendment won’t do the job because (1) it
won’t cover all the details of lobbying and bundling, and (2) an amendment will
not only require a 2/3 vote in each house of congress (!) but also ratification
by 38 states (!!).
What Are the Provisions of AACA? The actual
11-page bill: https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.unitedrepublic.org/docs/AACA_Full_Provisions.pdf
1)
Prohibit congresspersons from
soliciting contributions from the interests they regulate.
2)
Expand the definition of and
register ALL lobbyists.
3)
Toughen rules regarding coordination
between Super PACS and campaigns.
4)
Empower voters by creating a $100
tax rebate for contributions to candidates.
5)
Require disclosure of names of
“bundlers.”
6)
Close the lobby “revolving door” by
instituting a 7 year moratorium on transfers of personnel to lobbies.
7)
Limit lobbyist donations to
candidates, parties, and committees.
8)
Require full and fast disclosure of
funding sources for all political ads.
9)
Enforce the rules. Strengthen the Federal Elections Commission and the
congressional ethics enforcement processes.
What’s The Plan? To "sponsor" the bill, go to www.anticorruptionact.org.
1)
Start collecting signatures of
citizen “sponsors” by internet and signed petitions through 2013.
2)
In November, 2013, have the bill
introduced in both houses with 1,000,000 sponsoring signatures. As of 3/11/13 more than 338,039 have signed.
3)
Inform congressmen who don’t support
AACA they will be opposed in primaries and general elections in 2014.
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