WASHINGTON–Reps. Donna Edwards and Chris Van Hollen joined a task force Wednesday, that is urging Congress to act on solutions to increase transparency in U.S. campaign and electoral finance systems.
In announcing their appointments, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the task force is working on support for “Democracy for All,” a proposed Constitutional amendment that would overturn the Citizens United ruling by the Supreme Court.
“We want Americans to know that under the leadership of Donna Edwards, there is democracy for all, not just the privileged few,” said Pelosi.
Edwards, D-Fort Washington, was named task force chair. She is following in the footsteps of former chair Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., who led the task force in the 113th Congress. She said she is concerned that voices and values are getting drowned out because only a chosen few get to participate in politics.
“I know when I travel across the great state of Maryland, and I know my colleagues across the country hear that frustration, said Edwards.
Van Hollen, D-Kensington, who is running against Edwards in the race to replace retiring Sen. Barbara Mikulski, called for full disclosure for the American people about money pouring into the electoral system in an attempt to influence voters.
The Citizens United Case released a “large share of so-called independent expenditures coming in the form of secret money,” said Van Hollen.
He wants to make this “a democracy of the people, by the people and for the people, where you spell by the people b-y, not people who are trying to buy our democracy, b-u-y.”