NORTHAMPTON — U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern has joined with other members of Congress to re-introduce an amendment that would overturn the Citizens United case.
In 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that corporations and other private entities have the right to donate unlimited amounts of money to political campaigns with the possibility of influencing public election results.
The bill, called the Democracy for All Amendment, would help “get big money out of politics” by limiting the abilities of large corporations and wealthy individuals capable of spending millions of dollars to influence elections.
“There’s too much money in our politics. It is a corrupting force. It undermines our democracy and drowns out the voices of the people,” McGovern said in an email statement.
McGovern is a Democrat from Worcester who represents Northampton, Hatfield, Hadley, Amherst, Pelham, Belchertown and Ware in Hampshire County, as well as Whately, Deerfield, Leverett and Shutesbury along with many other Franklin County communities.
“The Democracy for All Amendment empowers Congress and state legislatures with the ability to limit spending in political campaigns in their respective states. It will help return power to the people and take it out of the hands of special interests.”
Other sponsors of the bill are Sens. Tom Udall of New Mexico and Michael Bennet of Colorado, and Reps. Ted Deutch of Florida and Jamie Raskin of Maryland.
Northampton-based Represent.Us is one of the many national and local groups working to reform campaign finance legislation.
Marge Baker, executive vice president of People For the American Way, also expressed support on behalf of the group in a joint statement with McGovern.
“Super PAC spending during the 2016 cycle was nearly double what it was in the last presidential election,” Baker, executive vice president of People For the American Way, said. “The voices of everyday Americans can’t be heard when wealthy special interests can tilt our elections to fit their interests.”