Rock the Vote President Carolyn Dewitt said Thursday that House Democrats’ election reform bill, known as H.R. 1, would help “shine a light” on the influence of “big money” in the U.S. political system.
“In terms of helping to end dominance of big money in politics, it really shines a light first on those behind-the-scenes dark money,” Dewitt, who also serves as executive director of the organization, told Hill.TV.
“It tightens restrictions on super PACs and then it limits how much foreign actors can really influence as well as it gives the agencies that actually monitor campaign finance and ethics the ability to actually impact and hold people accountable,” she continued.
Dewitt joined “Rising” in an effort to urge Senate leaders to pass the For the People Act, as it’s formally known. The nonprofit and nonpartisan organization issued a statement of support following the passage of the bill earlier this month in the House.
“The ball is now in the Senate’s court and we ask that each Senator take a hard look at the profound impact the passage of this legislation would have on restoring and protecting our democracy,” Dewitt wrote.
Election reform has been a top priority for Democrats since they took back the House in January.
The wide-ranging 571-page legislation is aimed at reducing the role of big money in politics, increasing more transparency over campaign finance and expanding voting rights. The bill would also require the president and vice president to submit 10 years of tax returns.
The election reform bill, however, has little chance of passing the Republican-controlled Senate.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has made it clear that he has no intention of bringing H.R.1 to the floor for a vote.
Dewitt argued that McConnell’s refusal to bring the bill up shows that he is prioritizing his own special interests over what’s in the best interest of the American people.
“Mitch McConnell is choosing [his] own golden parachute instead of actually paying attention to what the public wants,” the advocate told Hill.TV.
—Tess Bonn
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