Editorial memo from Common Cause and Public Campaign Action Fund

February 10, 2010

To: Editorial Writers and Interested Parties From: David Donnelly, Public Campaign Action Fund
Subject: Polling on Citizens United and Momentum for Fair Elections Now Act

Voters are disillusioned with Congress and concerned about the influence of special interests on their elected officials, according to a national survey conducted by the bipartisan pair of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research (D) and McKinnon Media (R) and released on Monday.

This new polling, combined with the wave of support for the bipartisan Fair Elections Now Act (S. 752, H.R.1826) in and outside of Congress in the wake of the US Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. FEC, shows significant momentum for this legislation to change the way Washington works.

New Poll: Voters Want Congress to Act

Voters are tired of ‘business-as-usual’ in Washington. They believe that special interests—and their campaign contributions—are drowning out the voices of everyday Americans, according to the new poll. Here are the key points:

• 79 percent of voters believe that special interests “control” members of Congress, and less than one quarter of voters believe that ordinary citizens can still influence what happens in politics.
• 64 percent of voters oppose the recent US Supreme Court decision that lifted the ban on corporate and union spending on elections. A majority of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents oppose the decision. At 72 percent against, the strongest opposition comes from Independents.
• A full 62 percent of voters support a system like the Fair Elections Now Act that would provide limited public funds for candidates that take no contributions larger than $100.
• According to the poll, voters support bold steps to blunt the Supreme Court decision, and are more likely to vote for members of Congress that vote for reform than those who don’t. Members who support a robust reform proposal get an extra boost in support, particularly from Independent voters.

Voters crave solutions that will put power back in the hands of the people and respond intensely to proposals that would do so, the poll shows.

Momentum for Fair Elections is Building

Since the Citizens United decision was released just a few weeks ago, Americans from diverse backgrounds have shown anger with the decision and urged Congress to take action.

A day after the decision was released, a letter from 41 top business executives urged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) urging them to include the Fair Elections Now Act in any legislative package to mitigate the damage by the Roberts’ Court.

“It is long past the time to stop requiring that our elected officials moonlight as telemarketers raising money for their re-election campaigns rather then devoting all their time to solving the problems before this nation. Is there a difference between campaign contributions and bribery?” asked Alan Hassenfeld, chairman of Hasbro*, a signer of the business leader letter.

Last week, more than 200 prominent faith leaders representing a diversity of religions wrote to Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid urging passage of the Fair Elections Now Act in the wake of the Citizens United decision.

Members of Congress also heard from their constituents. A total 177,716 petition signatures have been delivered to district and Capitol Hill offices for both House members and Senators urging them to co-sponsor and pass Fair Elections as a response to Citizens United.

And Congress is listening. Last Thursday, the House version of the bipartisan Fair Elections Now Act, championed by Reps. John B. Larson (D-Conn.) and Walter Jones (R-N.C.), reached a milestone when its 134th co-sponsor signed on. The bill is now supported by a majority of the Democratic majority. The 134 co-sponsors represent a broad, ideologically diverse array of the House, with strong support across caucuses and party lines. Supporters include 66 percent of new members, 62 percent of Democratic women, and half of all Congressional Black Caucus members.

Fair Elections Must Be Included as part of Reform Package

The Fair Elections Now Act should be included as a component of the legislative response being put together by members of Congress. While shareholder protections and provisions regarding expenditures from foreign entities are important worthwhile remedies to pursue, they do not get at the heart of the problem: Politicians are far too dependent on their big donors, and too often appear to make decisions based on their interests—not the public interest.

The bottom line is Congress must get out of the fundraising business altogether. Fair Elections would give candidates the support they need to counter threats enabled by Citizens United and reduce the undue influence of special interest campaign cash on our political process. Only then will Americans stop taking a back seat to the likes of Wall Street, PhRMA, and the energy industry.

As you consider weighing in on what Congress should do to respond to Citizens United, we urge you to editorialize in favor of including the bipartisan Fair Elections Now Act in that package of reforms.

*Corporation affiliations used for identification purposes only.