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http://teddeutch.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398348 Deutch, Edwards, McGovern Lead 43 Democrats Calling for Judiciary Hearings on Overturning Citizens United 2014-12-02 2014 2014-12 Democrat House FL Ted Deutch D000610 teddeutch.house.gov     legacy Today, U.S. Representatives Ted Deutch (FL-21), Donna Edwards (MD-4), and Jim McGovern (MA-2) sent a letter signed by 43 of their colleagues to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (VA-6) and Ranking Member John Conyers (MI-13) requesting hearings at the start of the 114th Congress on amending the Constitution to overturn Supreme Court cases like Citizens United v. FEC and McCutcheon v. FEC. Reps. Deutch, Edwards, McGovern are the lead sponsors of H.J. Res 119, the Democracy for All Amendment. Cosponsored by 128 Members of Congress, the Democracy for All Amendment restores constitutional legitimacy to laws that limit the influence of money in politics.  H.J. Res 119 is the House companion to Senator Tom Udall's S.J. Res 19, which received hearings and a full debate in the U.S. Senate earlier this year. “With Americans of all political persuasions fed up by the growing influence of special interests in government and frustrated by the partisan gridlock in Congress, we believe the House Judiciary Committee can help start the 114th Congress off right by holding hearings on a constitutional amendment to reduce the influence of big money in politics,” the Members write.  They continue, "Most Americans agree that the rise of big money in politics undermines the basic guiding principle of our democracy–that every citizen enjoys equality under the law and an equal voice in our elections.  While we believe that amending the Constitution should be reserved only for times when no other recourse will do, we have seen the impact of these decisions, and we are convinced that an amendment is ripe for consideration." A copy of the letter is available below and for download here. Joining Deutch, Edwards, and McGovern on the letter were Reps. Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Anna G. Eshoo (CA-18), Alcee L. Hastings (FL-20), Sam Farr (CA-20), Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), John B. Larson (CT-01), Janice D. Schakowsky (IL-09), Mike Thompson (CA-05), Wm. Lacy Clay (MO-1), Susan A. Davis (CA-53), Steve Israel (NY-03), James R. Langevin (RI-02), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Adam B. Schiff (CA-28), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Keith Ellison (MN-05), Peter Welch (VT- AT Large), John A. Yarmuth (KY-03), Niki Tsongas (MA-03), Jackie Speier (CA-14), Rick Nolan (MN-08), James A. Himes (CT-04), Paul D. Tonko (NY-20), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Judy Chu (CA-27), Bill Foster (IL-11), David Cicilline (RI-01), Cedric L. Richmond (LA-02) Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Donald M. Payne Jr. (NJ-10), Alan Grayson (FL-09), Matt Cartwright (PA17), Elizabeth H. Esty (CT-05), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02), Joseph P. Kennedy III (MA-04), Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Beto O’Rourke (TX-16), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Mark Takano (CA-41), and Kathrine M. Clark (MA-05)  Hon. Bob Goodlatte                                                         Hon. John Conyers, Jr. Chairman                                                                           Ranking Member House Judiciary Committee                                              House Judiciary Committee 2138 Rayburn House Office Building                              B-351 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515                                                    Washington, DC 20515 Dear Chairman Goodlatte and Ranking Member Conyers: The 113th Congress is coming to a close on the heels of an election season that once again shattered all previous records for midterm election spending. With Americans of all political persuasions fed up by the growing influence of special interests in government and frustrated by the partisan gridlock in Congress, we believe the House Judiciary Committee can help start the 114th Congress off right by holding hearings on a constitutional amendment to reduce the influence of big money in politics. In the nearly five years since the Supreme Court issued its 5-4 ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission, Americans have witnessed each election cycle grow more expensive than the last as wealthy donors, corporations, and other special interests take advantage of a newfound right to spend unlimited sums of money through Super PACs and secretive 501(c)(4) groups. The Supreme Court only further diminished the influence of ordinary voters in our elections with this year’s 5-4 ruling in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, which struck down federal aggregate donation limits and declared that wealthy donors have just as much of a right to influence public officials as the voters they were elected by. The access to public officials gained by large dollar donors is well-documented and only destined to intensify now that wealthy individuals are able to donate $6 million to federal candidates, political parties, and joint election funds during a single election cycle. The end of the aggregate limit means that one person can spend nearly 120 times the median household income to donate to candidates across the country, and only the most overt forms of bribery will remain off limits. While our campaign finance system has been flawed for some time, it is no surprise why so many of our constituents feel as though their voices are not being heard in the post-Citizens United era. These highly controversial Supreme Court decisions have unleashed unprecedented spending in our elections. During the 2012 presidential election – the most expensive cycle in our nation’s history – it took just 32 wealthy Super PAC donors to outspend the small donations of nearly 3.7 million ordinary Americans. Likewise, the 2014 elections – now the most expensive midterm election cycle in our nation’s history – saw nearly $4 billion spent by candidates, political parties, Super PACs, and outside groups. More than 120 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have cosponsored H.J. Res 119, a proposed constitutional amendment that restores legitimacy to reasonable limits on election spending. Likewise, the U.S. Senate engaged in a worthwhile and spirited debate on this constitutional amendment earlier this year, and thus far sixteen states and over 550 municipalities nationwide have passed resolutions calling for an amendment overturning Citizens United and related rulings. Most Americans agree that the rise of big money in politics undermines the basic guiding principle of our democracy–that every citizen enjoys equality under the law and an equal voice in our elections.  While we believe that amending the Constitution should be reserved only for times when no other recourse will do, we have seen the impact of these decisions, and we are convinced that an amendment is ripe for consideration. We respectfully request that you allow for consideration of a constitutional amendment to limit the influence of money in politics in the House Judiciary Committee. These issues are so essential to the health of our democracy and they deserve a full and open debate. 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z