Congressional Democrats Put Forward Plan to Reduce Lobbyist Influence & End Political Gerrymande

Democrats in Congress understand that they need to put forward a positive agenda for the Fall beyond their opposition to Donald Trump. Voters need a reason to vote for something which will improve the situation in Washington and enhance their lives. That agenda is taking shape and will include new health care proposals, gun legislation and a platform focused on "draining the swamp". The myriad scandals surrounding Trump and his administration makes anti-corruption legislation especially fertile ground.

From Jake Johnson, Common Dreams: Yesterday Democratic leadership unveiled their "Better Deal for Our Democracy" proposal aimed at enhancing voting rights, curbing the influence of corporate lobbyists, and "ending the scourge of unaccountable 'dark money' unleashed by Citizens United."

Officially unveiled during a press conference on Monday by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), and other Democratic lawmakers, the "Better Deal for Our Democracy"—just one plank of the Democratic Party's broader 2018 platform—aims to:

1. "Empower the American voter" by restoring protections gutted by the GOP in recent years and putting an end to partisan gerrymandering;

2. "Strengthen our nation's ethics laws" by barring deep-pocketed lobbyists from "attempting to trade campaign cash for access and influence"; and

3. "Fix our broken campaign finance system" by overturning Citizens United and increasing the power of small donors.

You can read more about the details of the proposal here:

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