Tonight, Congressman Andy Levin (MI-09) joined the majority of his colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to pass H.R. 1, the For the People Act. The bill included his Transparency in Corporate Political Spending Act, which would reverse a current law that prevents the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) from requiring corporations to disclose their political spending. H.R. 1 also included an amendment authored by Congressman Levin to require "chiefs of mission," such as ambassadors in charge of U.S. embassies, to disclose if they've solicited donations for or made their own political contributions to PACs, political nonprofits or industry trade associations.
"After seeing a record $14 billion poured into the 2020 election, more Americans than ever are asking, ‘Where is all this money coming from?'" said Rep. Levin. "With these transformative pro-democracy and anti-corruption reforms, we are returning power to American voters and addressing the massive influence of wealthy special interests. My Transparency in Corporate Political Spending Act, which passed today as part of H.R. 1, would shine a light on dark money corporate political spending by finally allowing the FEC to require that corporations disclose their political spending. I'm also glad the House approved my amendment, as Americans should feel confident that those entrusted to represent the United States abroad are there not because of political donations, but because they're the best people for the job."
Key provisions of H.R. 1, the For the People Act, include:
- Expanding automatic voter registration and same day registration
- Strengthening vote by mail, early voting and ballot access
- Combating voter intimidation and voter suppression
- Protecting elections from foreign interference
- Fixing partisan gerrymandering
- Promoting digital ad transparency
- Forcing disclosure of dark money
- Reining in lobbyist influence
- Enforcing ethics and conflict of interest rules for all government officials
- Empowering small donors with matching funds paid for by lawbreakers, not taxpayers
Source:https://andylevin.house.gov/media/press-releases/house-votes-pass-hr-1-levin-provision-and-amendment-increase-transparency
