Both Point to His Leadership in the Fight to Get Dark Money Out of Politics and Staunch Defense of Voting Rights
KENSINGTON, MD — Today, Senator Van Hollen announced that End Citizens United and Let America Vote (ECU // LAV) endorsed his re-election to the United States Senate. Both play a critical role in advocating for anti-corruption and voting rights policies across the country as leaders in a grassroots-based movement that includes nearly 60,000 members in Maryland. Their mission is to elect candidates that seek to limit the influence of big money in politics and protect the freedom to vote.
With their endorsement, ECU // LAV touted Senator Van Hollen’s work as a champion for getting dark money out of politics and fighting corruption in Washington. In 2010, following the notorious 5-4 Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court that opened the floodgates to corporations spending money in elections, Chris, then a member of the House of Representatives, wrote and introduced the DISCLOSE Act to prevent secret, dark money from pouring into our politics. He successfully fought to get the DISCLOSE Act passed in the House, but Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans used the filibuster to block the Senate version.
Since coming to the Senate, Chris has continued pushing to overturn the disastrous Citizens United decision, end secret money in politics, reform our campaign finance system, and change the rules governing the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) so it can effectively enforce ethics and campaign rules. Senator Van Hollen has stood up time and again for doing whatever it takes, including ending the anti-democratic filibuster, to ensure Americans have equal access to the ballot box. He is a champion of the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which establishes national standards to ensure fair access to the ballot box, abolishes secret money in elections, and ends partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts. This week’s endorsement reflects Senator Van Hollen’s work throughout his public service to protect the right to vote, fight back against discriminatory attempts to disenfranchise Americans, and prevent big money special interests from drowning out the voices and votes of our citizens.
“End Citizens United and Let America Vote are essential partners in our work in Congress to protect every American’s access to the ballot box and get secret money out of our politics. That’s why I am so proud to have their strong endorsement today. Throughout my time in public service, I’ve pushed for campaign finance reform and, as the original author of the DISCLOSE Act, worked to end the torrents of secret money poisoning our politics. I will continue working in the Senate to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. The future of our democracy is at stake, and we must protect it,” said Senator Van Hollen.
“Senator Van Hollen has proven his dedication to fighting corruption on every level, consistently pushing for reform, and introducing legislation to fix our broken system. His voice and advocacy have been critical in the effort to get dark money out of politics and ensure our elected officials work for the people, not the special interests,” said End Citizens United // Let America Vote President Tiffany Muller. “Senator Van Hollen will continue to fight for Maryland families and make sure their voices are heard. We’re proud to endorse Senator Van Hollen and look forward to helping him win another term in the Senate.
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