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John,
One of the biggest hurdles we face in our pursuit of democracy is Citizens United―the 14 year old Supreme Court decision that equated the free speech rights of individuals to corporations, opening the door to unlimited spending in elections.
This terrible ruling has allowed the rich and powerful to essentially buy our elections by pouring in unlimited amounts of anonymous money, undermining the voices and votes of U.S. voters.
In the 2022 midterm elections, $1 out of every $9 in political donations came from fewer than 500 billionaires. In fact, billionaires spent more than $1 billion in the midterm elections―mainly donating to far-right candidates who push to limit voting rights and cut funding to essential human needs programs.1
The rise of dark, untraceable money in our elections further erodes holding policymakers accountable to put the needs of communities first. Congress must fix this by passing legislation that overturns Citizens United now.
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The 2024 election cycle is on pace to be the most expensive election in history. Outside groups have spent $318 million on presidential and congressional campaigns as of January 14th―more than six times the amount spent at this point in 2020.2
Overall spending on ads across TV, online, radio, satellite, and digital are projected to reach $10.2 billion, with $2.7 billion just for the presidential race.3
Why are billionaires and ultra-wealthy donors spending so much on political campaigns? Because it pays off for them.
According to political scientists Jeffrey Winters and Benjamin Page, “each of the top 400 or so richest Americans [has] on average about 22,000 times the political power of the average member of the bottom 90 percent, and each of the top 100 or so [has] nearly 60,000 times as much.”4
It’s unconscionable for the wealthy to have this much power and influence over elected officials who are supposed to work for the common good of the general public. With our system this skewed, it’s not surprising that tax breaks for the rich and corporations have a much easier time passing than housing, nutrition, health and education assistance, or environmental protections serving many millions of us.
The only way to right this wrong and have a fair political process is for Congress to overturn Citizens United. Sign the petition to demand Congress restore faith in our democratic institutions.
Thank you for all you do,
Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs
1 Press Release: Billionaire Spending Topped $1 Billion for the First Time in 2022 Elections
2 Outside spending on 2024 elections tops $318 million
3 2023/2024 Projections
4 Oligarchy in the United States? Perspectives on Politics
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