Campaign for Fair Elections Applauds New "Accountability and Transparency" Package

Leading national campaign reform groups Public Campaign and Common
Cause today praised the new "accountability and transparency" package
being put together by 20 to 30 freshman members of Congress. According
to reports, the legislative package will contain the Fair Elections Now
Act, which would sever the ties between special interest cash and
members of Congress, and give voters a louder voice in what happens in
our nation's capitol.

"These members of Congress have
read the writing on the wall-voters want Congress to implement
comprehensive solutions to fix our broken political system, not
band-aids or half measures," said David Donnelly, campaign manager for
the Campaign for Fair Elections. "The American people keep voting for
change but they're not getting it. They'll continue until they actually
get it."

"We applaud these members for their decision
to include the Fair Elections Now Act as a critical piece of this reform
package," said Donnelly. "It's impossible to address pay-to-play
politics without addressing the root problem: the undue influence of
special interest cash in our elections."

According to
news reports this morning, the 20 to 30 House members will propose a
reform package in the coming weeks that includes a variety of measures
to address how the U.S. House of Representatives operates. The
bipartisan Fair Elections Now Act (H.R. 1826), sponsored by Rep. John
Larson (D-Conn.), will be included in this package. The legislation
currently has the broad, bipartisan and cross-caucus support of 150 U.S.
House members. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and 18 of his colleagues are
sponsors of companion legislation in the Senate.

With
Fair Elections, candidates turn their sights away from big donors and
instead seek support from a large number of people back home. They run
for office with small donations and Fair Elections funds. Fair Elections
puts voters in charge, instead of wealthy donors.