Fair Elections for Congress

Our Top Priority

Members of Congress spend too much time fundraising and too little time working on solutions to the country's problems.  Instead of focusing on jobs, the economy, or health care, elected officials in Washington spend hours each day raising money from the lobbyists and industries they’re suppose to oversee. So it’s no surprise that special interests and wealthy donors have enormous influence in Washington.

It’s time to get our elected officials out of the fundraising game and let them do the job we elected them to do.

In a citizen-funded "Fair Elections" system, qualified candidates who take no contributions larger than $100 can run for Congress on a blend of small donations and public funds.

The Fair Elections Now Act would:    

• Reduce the influence of big donors over federal elections, the main driver of pay-to-play politics in Washington;

• Enhance the power of small donors; and

• Offer a voluntary system that both incumbents and challengers will find attractive.

To truly change Washington, we must remove the pay-to-play political system at its core.  Constant fundraising by members of Congress dominates their schedules and rots the political process.  That's why we're working to pass the Fair Elections Now Act for Congress.

Fair Elections for Congress

Our Top Priority

Common Cause is working hard to get Congress to adopt a citizen-funded elections system by passing the Fair Elections Now Act.  We're working closely with our allies at the Brennan Center for Justice, Change Congress, Democracy Matters, Public Campaign, Public Citizen, and U.S. PIRG.

As the nation faces big challenges, it's time to get our elected officials out of the fundraising game and let them do the job we elected them to do.

The Fair Elections Now Act would:

1. Reduce the influence of big donors in congressional elections, which is the driving force behind pay-to-play politics in Washington. Under the current system, big donors, bundlers, and lobbyists provide most of the money for congressional campaigns.  As candidates and members of Congress rely on these powerful insiders for lots of $2,300 contributions, it's no surprise that those insiders are often rewarded with access and influence on important decisions.

When Congress debates jobs, health care, or the economy, voters and regular citizens should not have to fear that their elected officials are working for powerful special interest donors -- we need a new Fair Elections system that allows members of Congress to focus solely on the needs of their constituents and the country at large.

2. Enhance the power of small donors.  Thanks in part to the Internet, campaigns in the 21st century can reach more people and raise more small individual donations than ever before. The Obama presidential campaign raised more from small donors than anyone in history, but the trend in Congressional races is exactly the opposite. We believe Congressional candidates could raise more in small donations than in years past, but only if they are weaned from their extreme reliance on wealthy and powerful donors.  When this happens, under Fair Elections, they'll be better connected to the people they represent and serve.

3. Offer a system that candidates – incumbents and challengers – will find attractive. Candidates will be freed from the burden of constantly seeking funds from lobbyists and powerful interests. A combination of small donors and public financing will put an end to that distracting and debilitating hunt for big dollars. Candidates will still have to spend time raising money, but for only a portion of their campaign funds, and that fundraising activity will be spread among broader groups of citizens -- not just those who can write large checks.

States like Maine, Arizona, and Connecticut have already enacted citizen-funded election systems with great success.  Candidates prefer the grassroots fundraising and the freedom of not having to answer to well-heeled lobbyists once in office.  The Fair Elections Now Act, based on these successful state systems, can create a viable new way to run campaigns for Congress.

Congressional Public Financing

Our Top Priority

Common Cause Reports

• Breaking Free With Fair Elections
This March 2007 report, created along with the Brennan Center for Justice, Democracy Matters, Public Campaign, Public Citizen, and U.S. PIRG, presents a full description of public financing and makes the case for passage of the Fair Elections Now Act.

• Ask Yourself Why... Congress Didn't See the Financial Crisis Coming; Ask Yourself Why... Cable Rates Got So High; and Ask Yourself Why... Mortgage Foreclosure Rates Are So High.  This series shows how average Americans are often harmed by special interest spending in Washington.

• Boeing's Unlikely Lease Deal
This report offers a look at political contributions and lobbying by the defense giant.

• Connecticut's Bottle Bill
Connecticut Common Cause shows how lobbyists and private campaign contributions led to the downfall of the Bottle Bill.