Top Priority: Getting Money Out of Politics
On most issues - student debt and high-cost education, unaffordable healthcare, income inequality, climate chaos, racial injustice and mass incarceration, endless war, and many more - the reason our needs are not being met is that Big Money has taken over politics.
That's why my top legislative priority is getting money out of politics.
THE CHANGE WE NEED
"Getting Money Out of Politics" includes publicly funding elections, ending the influence of big money on our political system, and affirming that corporations are not people. Reclaiming our democracy is the first step to getting our needs met. From health care and education to energy and the economy, we, the people, will only have our say when we've elected leaders who are responsive to the people, not to the lobbyists of mega-corporations and the wealthiest 1%. Winning this election is the first step. Will you declare your support for this campaign today?
A WEALTH OF SOLUTIONS
There are many practical steps we can take to reverse the harmful effects of Big Money in politics and reclaim our democracy.
Appointing Supreme Court justices who are ready to overturn the disastrous Citizens United decision.
Fighting to pass a constitutional amendment making it clear that money is not speech & corporations are not people.
Implementing publicly financed, transparent elections and a campaign finance system that amplifies small donations (along the lines of the Fair Elections Now Act).
Insisting on complete public transparency regarding the funding of campaigns, so we can easily see where political candidates and elected officials are getting their money.
Eliminating super-PACs and other spending abuses.
Aggressively enforcing existing campaign finance rules.
Upholding and expanding the Voting Rights Act and ensuring that no voters are disenfranchised or prevented from participating in the political process.
I didn't make up these solutions; they are research-based, shared by a growing movement of candidates, and included in the platform of organizations like Our Revolution and Brand New Congress. No lone wolf will be able to get money out of politics. It's going to take a movement of people like you and me standing up together and declaring that enough is enough.
A CLEAN CAMPAIGN
Perhaps the most important thing that distinguishes me from the establishment incumbent I'm challenging in this race is that, unlike our current Representative in Congress, I accept no campaign contributions from corporate lobbyists.
I initially decided to run for Congress in the 2016 election after I visited the Federal Election Commission website and discovered how much money was flowing to my Representative from Wall Street and weapons manufacturers, Big Pharma and health insurance giants, telecom and fossil fuel companies, big banks, and lobbyists representing other harmful corporations. See for yourself.
TRUE STORY
When I met Mike Thompson in 2015 and expressed my concerns about wealth inequality, climate change, student debt, for-profit health care, and the money in politics that is responsible for it all, he told me: "You'll never get money out of politics."