SARAH L. VOISIN/THE WASHINGTON POST VIA GETTY IMAGES
CRACKING
THE CODE
tax credit to every American voter
to use as a contribution to the
political candidate of his or her
choosing. By being tied to a large
pool of funds, small donors become as valuable as big ones. The
bill would also bar participating
candidates from accepting contributions larger than $1,000.
The push for a campaign finance
reform bill comes at a critical moment. The Supreme Court’s 2010
Citizens United decision opened
the political spending floodgates
and ushered in the era of the super
PAC. This month, the court heard
arguments in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, which
HUFFINGTON
10.27.13
“THE NOTION THAT
WE’RE SIMPLY GOING
TO REGULATE THE
BIG MONEY OUT BY
ESTABLISHING LIMITS
HAS FADED.”
challenges the aggregate federal
two-year contribution limit for
individual donors. Without this
limit, big donors would be able
to spread their wealth further
throughout Congress, gaining more
influence in the process.
While it may seem quixotic to
push for campaign finance reform
Public
Campaign
CEO Nick
Nyhart (right)
spoke of
the need to
restore fair
elections
during a tour
of fundraising
hotspots in
June 2013.