In an op-ed published Tuesday at the Washington Post, Reps. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and John Sarbanes, D-Md., suggested amending the Constitution to reverse the Supreme Court Citizen’s United decision regarding political speech.
“We must disclose the sources of the money in our campaigns, amend the Constitution to reverse the grievous error of the Citizens United decision, reform our broken campaign finance system and empower citizens everywhere to exercise their right to vote,” the liberal Democrats wrote.
According to The Blaze, the op-ed was penned on the same day the Government by the People Act was introduced in the House.
The two Democrats say they want to institute a taxpayer-financing system with a refundable $25 My Voice Tax Credit and a Freedom From Influence Matching Fund. In order to qualify for the fund, a candidate would have to agree to a limit on large donations and demonstrate broad-based support from a network of small-dollar contributors.
“The funding for these changes should come from closing tax and regulatory loopholes that are the decades-old legacy of special-interest influence in Congress,” they said.
The Citizen’s United decisions allows corporations and unions to spend money on elections and lifts restrictions on political speech.
Liberals have sought to undermine the decision since it was handed down, and President Obama scolded the Supreme Court for making the decision in his 2010 State of the Union speech.
Now, Pelosi wants to amend the Constitution to limit political speech.
It’s not the first time the suggestion has been made.
In August 2012, Obama floated the idea of overturning the case with an amendment to the Constitution.
“I think we need to seriously consider mobilizing a constitutional amendment process to overturn Citizens United,” he said. “Even if the amendment process falls short, it can shine a spotlight of the super PAC phenomenon and help apply pressure for change.”
At the time, Senator Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., said Obama and other Democrats do not believe in free speech.
“The First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees the right to free speech. I believe deeply in that. The problem with Democrats, the problem with President Obama, they really don’t believe in free speech,” he said. “They want to limit certain individual rights to be able to participate in the political process. I believe every American has the right to participate in that process to petition their government. It’s right there in the First Amendment.”
It’s also not the first time Pelosi has sought to limit political speech.
An analysis of the so-called “People’s Rights Amendment” supported by Pelosi and other Democrats said it would not only destroy the right to a free press guaranteed in the Constitution, it could “ban the speech and religious practice of most churches,” since many are organized as corporations.
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