Corporate Democracy:
Likely Fallout From
Citizens United...Click for more...
Ethics Committee:
Don't Worry About
Appearances...Click for more...
Public Option Would
Generate More
Benefits And Savings... Click for more...
Corporate Democracy: Likely fallout from Supreme Court Citizens United decision
October 29, 2009
The impending Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which could be announced as early as Tuesday, is expected to significantly expand the role of the most powerful special interests in financing American elections. The Court appears poised to turn its back on more than 100 years of law and pave the way for corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts of money on direct campaigns to elect or defeat federal candidates.
In preparation for this decision, Common Cause has prepared a report that reviews the potential fallout from this case, the legal history, examines political spending of corporations versus unions and looks at a state – California – that allows unlimited corporate political spending.
House Ethics Committee: Don't worry about appearances
October 30, 2009
Common Cause today condemned a House Ethics Committee finding that "no relevant House rule or other standard of conduct prohibits the creation of an appearance of a conflict of interest when selecting witnesses for a committee hearing."
"The Ethics Committee has lowered the standard for Congressional behavior to a new low," said Common Cause President, Bob Edgar. "They have now said Members of Congress are free to create the appearance of a conflict of interest in their congressional work."
New health care study: Public option would generate more benefits, savings than projected
October 30, 2009
The UC Berkeley School of Law's Center on Health, Economic & Family Security today released a report titled The Costs and Benefits of a Public Option in Health Care Reform: An Economic Analysis, which argues that the public option is likely to generate greater benefits and cost savings to the American people than has been projected by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and other independent analysts.
Common Cause supports a public option as a way of reducing health care costs and extending health care coverage to more Americans.
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Boeing and Lockheed Fly High as Senate Considers More Fighter Jets
July 2009
Boeing and Lockheed Martin will be watching the Senate closely this week as it considers the defense authorization bill, which includes $1.75 billion for seven new F-22 Raptors that Defense Secretary Robert Gates says are not needed. Combined, these two companies have given nearly $1.4 million in campaign contributions so far this year to 50 senators as the companies have fought to continue funding for the much-criticized fighter jet.
Legislating Under the Influence
June 2009
As the debate over reforming the health care system heats up in Congress, a new report by Common Cause finds that major health care interests are spending more than $1.4 million a day to lobby Capitol Hill so far this year, and that those same health care interests have significantly ramped up campaign contributions, donating about $373 million to Members of Congress since 2000.
Earmarks for Campaign Cash?
May 2009
The 18 members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, which Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) chairs, inserted more than $355 million in earmarks into the 2008 defense spending bill on behalf of their campaign contributors. Those contributors, according to campaign disclosure reports, donated a total of $1.3 million to the members who sponsored the earmarks.
The Financial Bailout: Your Tax Dollars Gone Missing
February 2009
This report describes how bank recipients of bailout funds have failed to increase lending to the public, while rewarding executives with lavish bonuses. The report also calls on Congress to address the failures of the financial bailout plan immediately.
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