big logo 3
ARE YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS CO-SPONSORS OF THE "FAIR ELECTIONS NOW ACT" ?
WHAT IS THE "FAIR ELECTIONS NOW ACT?"
WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT PUBLICLY FUNDED ELECTIONS?
ABOUT

The Fair Elections Now Act provides matching public funds for congressional candidates who are able to raise a significant number of small contributions (under $100). This voluntary program provides both incumbents and their challengers with an alternative source of campaign money. Candidates will no longer be dependent on large checks from lobbyists, PACs and wealthy self-interested people.

The bill is designed to survive court challenges and to attract enough support to pass both houses of Congress. In 2008, Senator Barack Obama was a co-sponsor of a similar bill. Given his many statements on the issue, it is likely that he would sign a public funding bill into law.

CHECK THE CURRENT LIST OF CONGRESSIONAL SPONSORS AND CO-SPONSORS OF THE FAIR ELECTIONS NOW ACT

Here are some links to learn more about the Fair Elections Now Act and the groups advocating for it:
fenc
 A broad based group of organizations dedicated to the mission of focusing public attention on federal public financing as the best politically viable, constitutionally acceptable, and practical response to the never-ending campaign money chase and pay-to-play scandals that have plagued our democracy. A summary of the bill.

YouStreet.org (Americans for Campaign Reform), Chaired by former Senators Bradley (D, New Jersey), Kerrey (D, Nebraska), Rudman (R, New Hampshire) and Simpson (R, Wyoming) this group is an initiative of Americans for Campaign Reform, a non-partisan, grassroots organization of citizens whose purpose is to help enact public funding all federal elections — for the House, the Senate and the Presidency.
Video presentation by Lawrence Lessing, co-founder of Change Congress. The way we fund elections produces cynicism, bad policy, and destroys our faith in government.  
Join the Donor Strike and pledge not to give money to any federal candidate unless they support legislation making congressional elections citizen-funded, not special-interest funded.
Common Cause
Overview of the “Fair Elections Now Act” with FAQs.
Legislating Under the Influence is a new report on how major health care interests have spent $1.4 million per day this year lobbying Congress.
Overview of "Fair Elections Now Act" by Nick Nyhart of Public Campaign and David Donnelly of Public Campaign Action Fund.
This page from Public Campaign gives a brief history of publicly funded elections in states and cities.
Public Citizen, many issues at the intersection of politics, policy, and campaign money including the upcoming ruling in the Supreme Court case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.
Blue America is an on-line fundraising group that has raised over $500,000 for congressional candidates. This blog, posted by Howie Klein one of the founders of Blue America, announces that Blue America will be using support for Fair Elections as criteria for selecting candidates to support in the future. Blue America is a community on the ActBlue fundraising site. If you are a contributor or a fundraiser through ActBlue or any other fundraising site, ask the organizers to follow the example set by Blue America.
OpenSecrets.org is a nonpartisan guide to money’s influence on U.S. elections and public policy. Whether you’re a voter, journalist, activist, student or interested citizen, use this free site to shine light on your government.
POLLING

Here (pdf) is polling from February 2009.
"More than two-thirds of voters (67%) support providing qualified congressional candidates a limited amount public funding if they agree to take no large contributions, while just 20% are opposed and 11% are undecided."
In June 2010, California voters will be voting on the California Fair Elections Act to provide public funding for candidates for Secretary of State. Here (pdf) is recent polling on that measure.

If your representatives in Washington aren't co-sponsors of the solution, then they're co-sponsors of the problem.
CHECK THE CURRENT LIST OF SPONSORS AND CO-SPONSORS OF
THE FAIR ELECTIONS NOW ACT

 

home