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| Draining the Swamp and Restoring Democracy |
Dear Neighbor,
For too long, Americans have been disillusioned by a government that never quite seems to prioritize the common good over the special interests. As you probably recall, President Trump repeatedly promised to “drain the swamp” and clean up corruption in Washington. However, since taking office, he has done the opposite. Multiple cabinet secretaries have even resigned under clouds of suspicion.
The new Democratic House majority refuses to stand by and watch as our democracy is diluted beyond recognition. That’s why, last week, we passed H.R. 1, the For the People Act, a sweeping reform package aimed at restoring the promise of our nation’s democracy, ending the culture of corruption in Washington, and reducing the role of money in politics.
One of Congress’ most basic and sacred duties is to guarantee a government that is unmistakably of, by, and for the people. This means protecting every citizen’s right to vote and tearing down barriers to the ballot box. It means ensuring public servants actually serve the public, not themselves. And it means reining in the influence of big money in politics, and finally putting in place a system where elections are decided by votes, not dollars. The For the People Act meets every one of these metrics:
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1. Protecting and expanding the right to vote. H.R.1 requires states to implement automatic voter registration, offer online voter registration, and allow same-day voter registration for eligible citizens. It also ends partisan gerrymandering by requiring states to adopt independent redistricting commissions for the purposes of drawing Congressional districts instead of allowing politicians to pick their voters.
2. Ending the dominance of big money in politics. H.R.1 establishes a voluntary small dollar matching system, funded by wealthy tax cheats and corporate lawbreakers, on donations up to $200 for House candidates who demonstrate broad-based support and reject high-dollar contributions and provides similar voluntary public matching funds for small contributions to participating presidential candidates.
3. Ensuring public officials work for the public interest. H.R.1 expands lobbying disclosure requirements, requires sitting Presidents and Vice Presidents (as well as candidates for President and Vice President) to make their tax returns public, prohibits Members of Congress from using taxpayer funds to settle any case of employment discrimination acts, and forbids Members of Congress from serving on for-profit, corporate boards.
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I am particularly pleased that the House voted to include in H.R.1 my amendment ensuring that our voting systems are secure and free from interference by foreign actors. Based on my FAST Voting Act, this amendment offers grants to states to assist them in implementing voting system security improvements such as purchasing new voting machines, maintaining offline backups of voter registration lists, and providing a secure platform for disseminating vote totals.
H.R.1 is an important step toward a more representative, responsive, and responsible democracy.
Sincerely,
Member of Congress
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