[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 3]
[House]
[Pages 4105-4106]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     THE PEOPLE'S RIGHTS AMENDMENT

  (Mr. McGOVERN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, it has been 7 years since the dreadful 
Citizens United ruling.
  In upholding the rights of corporations to donate to political 
campaigns under the First Amendment, the Supreme Court created an 
election system that is now corrupted by limitless,

[[Page 4106]]

unregulated donations. Ordinary citizens are left powerless, and 
politicians are increasingly beholden to wealthy special interests.
  Since Citizens United, we have seen a major telecommunications 
company, oil companies, and the tobacco industry all attempt to 
dismantle regulations and disclosure rules by claiming First Amendment 
rights. Today, I am reintroducing the People's Rights Amendment to 
overturn Citizens United and declare, once and for all, that 
corporations are not people.
  The Constitution was never intended to give corporations the same 
rights as the American people. Corporations don't breathe; they don't 
have kids; they don't die in wars.
  The Preamble to the Constitution is ``We the people,'' not ``We the 
corporations.''
  Let us hope this Congress doesn't forget that.

                          ____________________