The State of the Union and Campaign Finance Reform

It’s January of an election year, and that means our country should be knee-deep in the debates, town halls, and meet-and-greets that comprise the presidential primary election season. This year, we have not strayed far from this course – but we have also witnessed some significant changes in the tone and content of the primary races. Due to a major influx of political spending authorized by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 decision Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission, corporate interests and negative attacks have been considerably amplified in the political arena. In the heat of an election in which money appears to matter more than substance, policy, and passion, it is all too clear that campaign finance reform is needed now more than ever. President Obama should make this call for reform in his 2012 State of the Union speech.

The January 2010 Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. FEC overturned 63 years of precedent, allowing corporations and labor unions to spend unlimited sums on independent political expenditures. This year we are seeing the real impact of Citizens United, most notably in the creation and proliferation of Super PACs. Overwhelmingly funded by significant corporate money, Super PACs have flooded television and radio airwaves with negative attack ads (you’ve seen or heard of plenty, I’m sure).

Republican candidates Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, and Ron Paul have all been endorsed by Super PACs by the names of Restore our Future, Winning our Future, RWB Fund and Revolution PAC, respectively – and a Super PAC called Priorities USA has already endorsed President Obama’s reelection campaign. Notwithstanding, President Obama should address the corrosive effect that unbridled spending has on political elections. In his 2010 State of the Union address, President Obama blasted the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, saying:

“With all due deference to separation of powers, last week the Supreme Court reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests – including foreign corporations – to spend without limit in our elections.  I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities.  They should be decided by the American people.  And I’d urge Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to correct some of these problems.”

Now, just after the two-year anniversary of the Court’s decision, we urge the President to renew his commitment to work with Congress to develop a bipartisan response remedying the damage wrought by the Citizens United decision.

One of the best ways to counteract the harmful influence of corporate money is to make public funds available to candidates running for office. President Obama should encourage Congress to pass the Fair Elections Now Act (S. 750/H.R. 1404), which would establish a “clean election” public funding system for candidates for Congressional office. A public funding system already exists for presidential elections, but it too remains vulnerable, as the House of Representatives passed a bill in December to dismantle this option. In his State of the Union speech, the President should reaffirm his support for public financing systems for local, state, and federal elections.

Watch the speech tonight at 9 p.m. ET to hear if President Obama mentions campaign finance reform, and make sure to follow along with the RAC’s BINGO board to see what else he discusses. You can also find us on Twitter, where Mark Pelavin, Associate Director of the Religious Action Center, will join senior Obama administration officials at the White House to LIVE tweet during the State of the Union. Use the hashtag #RACsotu to share your reactions with us and make your voice heard.

Check RACblog tomorrow for the RAC staff’s reaction to the speech.

Image courtesy of The New York Times.