Free Speech For People's Statement On Hillary Clinton's Campaign Finance Platform

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On September 8, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton released her campaign finance platform, which will address issues of money in politics especially related to the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United ruling. Free Speech For People Co-Founder and President provided the following statement:

STATEMENT BY JOHN BONIFAZ, CO-FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF FREE SPEECH FOR PEOPLE, ON SECRETARY HILLARY CLINTON’S CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM PLAN

September 8, 2015

Today, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton issued a set of proposals to reform our nation’s campaign finance system which included a call for a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s Citizen United ruling and related rulings and to allow for overall spending limits in our elections. This marks a significant shift from Secretary Clinton’s prior statement on April 14, 2015, in which she qualified this call by saying: “We need to fix our dysfunctional political system and get unaccountable money out of it once and for all – even if it takes a constitutional amendment.” In subsequent statements, she has reiterated this call for an amendment, if necessary. This shift today in her campaign platform demonstrates the growing power of the movement for a 28^th Amendment to reclaim our democracy.

Since the Citizens United ruling more than five years ago, sixteen states and more than 650 cities and towns across the country have issued the call for this amendment with broad support from Americans across the political spectrum. This support includes 75% of the voters in Montana and Colorado, the two states thus far to have passed ballot initiatives calling for an amendment, and it includes more than 130 Republican officials throughout the nation. Secretary Clinton now joins presidential candidates Senator Lindsey Graham and Senator Bernie Sanders who have each called for an amendment to overturn the Citizens United ruling.

In this post-Citizens United era, it is increasingly clear that a 28^th Amendment is necessary to end the current regime of unlimited campaign spending and to ensure that other critical reforms, such as small donor public financing of elections, are effective in leveling the playing field for all Americans, regardless of economic status. With her statement today, Secretary Clinton recognizes that any comprehensive plan to overhaul our nation’s campaign finance system must include both public financing and a constitutional amendment to defend our democracy.

Download the statement, here.