On Tuesday afternoon, MoveOn DC members attended a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, chaired by Assistant majority leader, Senator Dick Durban, called “Taking Back Our Democracy: Responding to Citizens Unitedand the Rise of super PACS”. The hearing was called to examine the proposed responses to the Supreme Court’s ruling on Citizens United and included discussion of constitutional amendments and pending legislation before Congress.
A huge coalition of activist organizations, including MoveOn.ORG, Common Cause,Wolf PAC, Credo, U.S. PIRG, United Republic, American Sustainable Business Council, People for the American Way, Public Citizen, Free Speech for People, Democratic Unity, Progressive Change, CWA, Rebuild the Dream,Move to Amend, and the Coffee Party combined their petition signatures and presented them to the Judiciary Committee. Over 1.7 million flesh and blood USCitizens of the type as defined in the US Constitution, including 700,000 MoveOn members, signed petitions asking for a constitutional amendment overturning Citizens United, getting money out of politics, and stating that corporations are not people.
Witnesses mostly underscored the absolute necessity of a 28th amendment. The first panel was Sens. Max Baucus of Montana, Udall of New Mexico, and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and Congressperson Donna Edwards of Maryland. This panel was followed by Gov. Charles “Buddy” Rohmer, a recent candidate for US president, Harvard Professor Lawrence Lessig, and Cato Institute Senior Fellow Ilya Shapiro. The hearing was filmed by CSpan and should be available for viewing soon.
Earlier in the day, 1.7 million petition signatures were delivered to the committee from People for the American Way, Common Cause, Public Citizen, Move To Amend, CREDO Action, Communications Workers of America, Center for Media and Democracy, U.S. PIRG, Coffee Party, American Small Business Council,Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Democrats.com, Wolf PAC, and many other organizations. MoveOn is an important part of a giant coalitionwww.unitede4thepeople.org all advocating a constitutional amendment.