John,

After right-wing group AIPAC spent $12 million to defeat Congresswoman Cori Bush, she said: “That was just my race, but what will they do next? Because what they’re ultimately trying to do is move Democrats further to the right.”

Trump-supporting billionaires are using AIPAC to funnel Republican money into Democratic primaries, and they’ve already spent $100 million in this year’s elections.

To make sure our government represents the people rather than billionaires, we desperately need campaign finance reform.

I’ve co-sponsored multiple bills in Congress like the Protecting Our Democracy Act to hold elected officials accountable and get dark money out of politics, the DISCLOSE Act of 2023 to require additional transparency in elections, and the Democracy for All Amendment to overturn Citizens United and limit corporate campaign spending while encouraging public campaign financing.

Public trust in our government has dwindled due to corruption. It’s shameful that some of my colleagues are profiting financially when they vote to support wars and weapons manufacturing. That’s why I introduced legislation to ban members of Congress from profiting off of war.

Can you add your name today to demand Congress pass policies that limit the influence of Big Money in politics and hand the power back to the people?

Thank you for taking action to demand our elected officials represent the people rather than corporate and Big Money interests.

For many years, Americans have been losing trust in government and feeling unheard by the people who are supposed to represent them. In a recent poll, more than 8 in 10 U.S. adults agreed that “special interest groups and lobbyists have too much say in what happens in politics” and “the cost of political campaigns makes it hard for good people to run for office.”

These costs keep going up, partly because AIPAC keeps spending unprecedented amounts of money from its Trump-supporting donors. A coalition of progressive organizations like the Movement for Black Lives and the Working Families Party joined to form “Reject AIPAC,” which recently wrote to the Democratic National Committee to demand the Democratic Party and candidates refuse endorsements and contributions from AIPAC.

But it’s not just about AIPAC. Powerful special interests want to keep rigging the system in their favor, and they’re escalating their efforts because they’re afraid of our progressive movement to change the unjust status quo.

Please add your name to tell Congress: Stop far-right billionaires from spending more and more to buy our elections. It’s time to pass policies to limit Big Money in our politics and hand the power back to the people.

Together, we’ll keep fighting for a government by and for the people, where everyone can thrive.

In solidarity,

Rashida

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Rashida Tlaib
Date: Sat, Sep 7, 2024
Subject: AIPAC spent more than $100 million on 2024’s elections so far
To: [email protected]

John,

Anti-Palestinian lobbying group AIPAC pledged to spend $100 million influencing 2024’s elections, and they’ve already surpassed that amount.

Funded mainly by far-right billionaires, AIPAC spent $30 million this summer to unseat two of the most progressive members of Congress, making Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush’s congressional primary elections the most expensive in U.S. history.

This influx of billionaire spending drowns out the voices of everyday voters, making it virtually impossible for working-class candidates to run for office and win.

Already, more than half of members of Congress are millionaires. They can’t relate to the struggles of ordinary Americans, and they don’t understand how quickly we need bold changes to end poverty and ensure that everyone can thrive.

In a recent poll, more than 8 in 10 U.S. adults reported that “special interest groups and lobbyists have too much say in what happens in politics.” This level of influence—powered by Big Money interests—erodes our democracy and blocks much-needed progress.

Can you sign today to urge Congress to act now to limit the influence of Big Money in politics and hand the power back to the people?

To earn back public trust in government and better represent the people, I’m a proud co-sponsor of legislation to expand campaign finance reforms—including the Protecting Our Democracy Act to hold elected officials accountable and get dark money out of politics, the DISCLOSE Act of 2023 to require additional transparency in elections, and the Democracy for All Amendment to overturn Citizens United and limit corporate campaign spending while encouraging public campaign financing.

We also need anti-corruption policies, because members of Congress were elected to serve the public, not to serve their stock portfolios. I introduced the Stop Politicians Profiting from War Act to ban members of Congress from investing in weapons contractors. They should not be able to use their positions of power to get rich while voting to pass more funding to bomb innocent civilians.

Right now, a majority of Congresspeople receive money from AIPAC: 342 out of 535 members of Congress. This is partly why my colleagues are still voting to support Israel’s atrocities against the Palestinian people, even though the majority of Americans want to stop sending U.S. weapons to Israel.

The biggest source of Republican money into Democratic elections, AIPAC keeps spending more each year to buy our elections. The group’s donors also financially support Trump’s re-election campaign, Atlanta’s Cop City, and attacks on workers’ rights and abortion rights. They want to take down members of Congress who represent working-class people and who want to create a government that works for everyone rather than just the wealthy few.

Already in 2024, just 50 billionaires have spent more than $600 million on elections in an attempt to rig our government even more in their favor. Right-wing billionaires are afraid of our progressive movement to change the unjust status quo, and now they’re emboldened to influence our politics even more.

We can’t let billionaires keep buying our elections. Add your name to demand Congress pass anti-corruption policies and campaign finance reform, such as the DISCLOSE Act of 2023, the Democracy for All Amendment, the Protecting Our Democracy Act, and the Stop Politicians Profiting from War Act.

Thank you for continuing to demand better from our government. We’re up against powerful special interests, but time and again powerful change happens because grassroots movements push for it. We’ll keep pushing together.

In solidarity,

Rashida