Earmarks for donors highlight broken system

Washington, D.C.—Last week, the House Ethics Committee exonerated six current members of Congress who were under investigation due to earmarks they secured for campaign contributors. These members may have been cleared, but it’s just another indictment of our broken pay-to-play political system, according to campaign finance watchdog Public Campaign.

Below is a statement from Public Campaign President Nick Nyhart:

“The real scandal is what’s completely legal and happens every day in Washington, D.C. Lobbyists and their clients donate big bucks to members of Congress in order to influence legislation and secure earmarks. While the committee found no wrongdoing, the ongoing appearance of favors for special interests is toxic to American’s faith in our political system.

 

“Two of the members, Reps. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) and James Moran (D-Va.), have signed onto the Fair Elections Now Act (H.R. 1826), legislation aimed at fixing our broken political system. The others, Reps. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.), Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.), and Bill Young (R-Fla.) should do the same.

 

“Washington is broken. Americans believe when big money special interests say ‘jump,’ members of Congress ask ‘how high.’ Congress must act boldly to show they’d rather do the bidding of voters, and not big campaign donors.”

 

The Fair Elections Now Act would give candidates for Congress a choice to run a viable campaign through a blend of limited public funds and a four-to-one match on donations of $100 or less. Candidates would be freed from the constant fundraising pressure and would be able to spend their time focusing on addressing our nation’s problems without regard to where their next campaign check is coming from.

Sponsored by Reps. John Larson (D-Conn.) and Walter Jones (R-N.C.), the bipartisan legislation currently has the broad support of 139 members of Congress.

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