Thursday, September 19, 2019

Constitutional Amendment to Overturn Citizens United


Senate Democrats Introduced a Constitutional Amendment to Undo the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court Decision.

A Group of Democrats, led by Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM), and Progressive Activists rallied outside the Supreme Court to Unveil the Amendment, which faces an Unlikely Path to being Ratified.

"Few decisions in the 200 and some odd years of this republic have threatened our democracy like Citizens United. People say they want to get rid of the swamp. Citizens United is the embodiment of the swamp," Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) said at the Rally.

Schumer added that "overturning Citizens United is probably more important than any other single thing we could do to preserve this great and grand democracy."

Democrats Pledged that if they took Control of the Senate during the 2020 Election, they would bring Legislation Overturning Citizens United up for a Vote.

"We reported this amendment to the floor [in 2014]. What happened to it? A [Senate Majority Leader Mitch] McConnell [R-KY] filibuster happened to it. ... With a new leader by the name of Schumer in the Senate, we can be sure that it won't be a filibuster stopping us," said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), the No. 2 Senate Democrat.

The 2010 Supreme Court Ruling Prohibited the Government from Limiting Spending by Companies, Nonprofit Organizations, and Unions, on Political Campaign Advertisements. The Court's Majority wrote that such Provisions would Inhibit Freedom of Speech.

The Senate Democratic Amendment would let Congress and States set Rules on Spending and Money in Elections.

But to be added as an Amendment to the Constitution, the Democratic Proposal would Need to be Approved by Two-Thirds of both the House and Senate and be Approved by Three-Fourths of the States.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) introduced his Own Amendment to nix Citizens United in May 2019.

"The Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United overturned decades of legal precedent and has enabled billions in dark money to pour into our elections," Schiff said in a Statement.

The Supreme Court Decision also resulted in many Public Company Stockholders to try to Limit Corporate Political Spending at Annual Meetings.









NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker


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