[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 117 (Thursday, August 2, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H5687]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RESTORING CONFIDENCE IN OUR DEMOCRACY ACT
(Mr. DINGELL asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. DINGELL. Citizens United v. FEC is one of the most destructive
Supreme Court decisions in the history of this country.
It unleashed the floodgates for unlimited expenditures on elections;
ignored factual records; disregarded congressional intent; and opened
up the floodgates of crime, misbehavior, and scandal. In addition to
that, people are going to be spending money without knowing who is
having it spent, why, or for how much or by whom.
That is why, today, I, along with a number of my colleagues, will be
introducing the Restoring Confidence in Our Democracy Act. This
legislation makes findings of fact about the negative effects of
unlimited spending which the Court cannot ignore. It reinstates the law
that was in place on the day before Citizens United was adopted by the
Court. It prohibits corporate spending in elections, and it subjects
super PACs to $5,000 contribution limits.
Don't wait for a constitutional amendment to undo Citizens United.
Support the Restoring Confidence in Our Democracy Act, and let us do it
by an enactment of Congress preceded by the necessary findings pointing
out the evils of this scandal. We will be back in less than 30 days,
and we are going to find out after the primary elections and after the
general election what an outrage this is.
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