WASHINGTON, January 21 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement after the Supreme Court today overturned decisions that had curbed corporate campaign contributions:
"The ruling is going to open the flood gates for the largest corporations to spend unlimited resources electing those candidates who represent their interests. The ruling will, to a significant degree, give control of the political process in the United States to the wealthiest and most powerful institutions in the world and the candidates who support their agenda. Instead of democracy being about one-person one-vote, it will now be about the size of a company's bank account. The answer, in my view, is that Congress must move forward aggressively for public funding of elections," Sanders said.
In a 5-to-4 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, justices overruled a 1990 decision that upheld restrictions on corporate spending to support or oppose political candidates. The ruling also junked part of a 2003 decision that upheld the central provisions of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law.
Contact: Michael Briggs or Will Wiquist (202) 224-5141
