The First Amendment was never intended to protect corporations...until now?
Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court lifted the floodgates and started dismantling century-old restrictions on corporate electoral activity in the name of the 'free speech rights' of corporations. With less than 11 months before the fall elections, SCOTUS's Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission ruling overturns rules against direct and indirect corporate financial involvement in federal elections.
SEIU's Anna Burger provides a helpful translation of the ramifications of this decision:
If you are a 'corporate person' (aka a CEO or corporate official), you are now free to hit the corporate ATM and spend whatever of your shareholders' money it takes to elect the candidates of your choice.
[...] With today's Citizens United decision, the Court has given corporate managers the greenlight to bypass the checks and balances, use unlimited amounts from the general treasury--funds that should be used to increase the value of the business or pay dividends to shareholders--to instead pay for public communications expressly advocating the election or defeat of the candidates of their choice.
Whether we like it or not (we don't), the Roberts' court is sending a clear message that signals the end of a purely regulatory regime as a viable approach to meaningful campaign finance reform. This is problematic for so many reasons. Already, corporations are shilling out a lot of cash for political activities, letting their shareholders and managerial employees know exactly which candidates they want to win or lose elections. The result is that citizen's voices can hardly be heard over the loud drone created by big-money contributions from corporate CEO's and their army of lobbyists.
Yesterday's ruling makes the need for an effective system for public funding, effective disclosure regulations, and other reforms of federal elections all the more pressing. SEIU will now push for more disclosure about corporate political spending, and we've joined a long list of organizations endorsing the Fair Elections Now Act. This bipartisan bill would allow candidates to voluntarily opt out of the escalating fundraising race and run vigorous campaigns relying on small contributions and limited public funding. It's being supported by Sen. Durbin (D-IL), Sen. Larson (D-CT) and a wide range of organizations including SEIU, Americans for Campaign Reform; Campaign for America's Future; Common Cause; Hip Hop Caucus; MoveOn.org; Public Citizen; Sierra Club and U.S. PIRG.
Our democratic process was meant to protect the people, not profit margins, and we need to get back to that. Congress must respond to the Citizen's United decision with a comprehensive solution to change the way campaigns are financed in this country. Tell corporate giants that they don't have a constitutional right to trample our democracy--Sign The Fair Elections Now Act Petition Now.
