Dear John,

We know that concentrations of money lead to concentrations of power. This has been especially true in this country since 2010, when the Supreme Court handed down the Citizens United decision.

Saying that corporations have the same rights as people, even though corporations are far larger, have far more money, have indefinite life spans, and are not human, the Supreme Court decided that corporations could give unlimited amounts to influence elections.

The Citizens United decision virtually guaranteed that the rich and powerful would buy our elections and keep their narrowly defined self-interests ahead of the interests of the American people. This is antithetical to the democratic process.

Sign the petition and tell Congress, we need a democracy in which all voices are valued and can be heard. Overturn Citizens United now!

The results have been as bad as we thought they would be. For example, in 2022, billionaires put over $1 billion into the election, giving far-right candidates overwhelming resources and keeping billionaires’ preferences at the top of most lawmakers’ priorities.

This investment by the wealthy in their own interests was almost 75% greater than in the 2018 midterms, and it was 300 times more than billionaires spent before Citizens United. Corporations including Big Oil, Big Pharma, and Big Finance have also continued to invest unlimited amounts, reducing the power of the vote and Americans’ confidence in government.

There is no major decision in public or private life that remains untouched by Citizens United. Whether it’s gun violence, reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights, cultural and environmental protection, or dealing with climate change, the legislative process is unduly influenced by the overarching fiscal goliath of corporate largesse.

Democracy may die in darkness, but it will also drown in money. We can’t allow our lawmakers, Supreme Court justices, and presidential candidates to be bought and paid for by the wealthiest of the wealthy.

We need democracy to be of the people and for the people, not of the corporations and for the corporations.

Sign the petition now and demand that Congress fix the excesses of Citizens United.

This fatally flawed decision has been a 500-pound gorilla sitting on our chest for too long. Thank you for taking action to free us from this unfriendly beast.

Robert Reich
Inequality Media Civic Action