Sign the petition: Reverse Citizens United
Rick Wieland - Democracy for America
Yesterday's Supreme Court ruling by the conservative majority was a body blow to the American electoral system. That's why Democracy for America is committed to holding the U.S. Senate and electing progressive Senators who will take the Koch Brothers head on. Rick Weiland is one of those leaders. He’s running for U.S. Senate in South Dakota and has made taking our democracy back from the billionaires one of his top priorities. We’re standing with Weiland today to launch a petition to Congress to reverse the McCutcheon ruling -- join us in adding your name today. -- Jim Dean, Chair, Democracy for America
For the last 10 months I have been traveling across South Dakota talking to people in their kitchens, cafes, living rooms, and businesses about taking our country back from the billionaires. It's a message I intend to take to the halls of the United States Senate.
Yesterday's Supreme Court ruling in the McCutcheon case makes this more urgent than ever. They just eliminated one of the last limits on billionaires' ability to buy our elections. It's Citizens United on steroids.
This ruling is a tipping point for our democracy. If we don't stop them, billionaires will use their wealth to block our efforts to revive the American dream. Now is the time to fight back.
We have a plan to undo this ruling and restore people power to elections. I'm proud to join Democracy for America and a coalition of progressive organizations in the fight to take back our democracy by supporting the recently introduced Government By The People Act.
This bill will help reverse the impact of both the McCutcheon and Citizens United rulings, and will end the legalized bribery that undermines the democratic process.
The Government By The People Act is already sponsored by over 130 Representatives. We can force the rest of Congress to support this bill by showing massive public outrage over today's horrible court decision.
This is not how our government is supposed to work. Billionaires are not supposed to pick election winners -- the people are. How can anyone say unlimited campaign contributions don't influence elected officials? Have you seen presidential candidates beating down your door and asking for your support? Then again, you and I don't have a billion dollars to buy a politician.
One of the main reasons DFA endorsed my campaign for Senate is my commitment to get big money out of politics. If I'm elected to the Senate, I will support the Government By The People Act. But I will go further.
On the back of my business card is the text of a constitutional amendment that would overturn both Citizens United and McCutcheon and bring sanity back to our campaigns. It is straightforward: "So that the votes of all, rather than the wealth of the few, shall direct the course of this Republic, Congress shall have the power to limit the raising and spending of money with respect to federal elections..."
Thank you for standing with me and DFA to take our democracy back from billionaires.
Rick Weiland
Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, South Dakota