Congresswoman Johnson recently commented on the third anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. FEC, which struck down government restrictions on political expenditures by corporations and unions:
“The Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United, which struck down limits on corporate spending in political campaigns, has seriously undermined the integrity of our election process. The principles and strengths of a political candidate should drive the outcome of an election, not unbridled spending by special interests. By lifting these restrictions, the Supreme Court has inadvertently empowered a few individual billionaires and corporations to spend millions and millions, effectively suppressing the collective voice of the American people, undermining the strength of our democracy indefinitely.”
“Since the ruling, Democrats in Congress have stood uniformly in opposition to this decision. Today, our resolve to reverse the consequences of Citizens United has never been more determined. Until we can address the massive amount of special interest money involved in our political process post-Citizens United, there will always be the threat of American citizens losing their Constitutional right to fair and open elections.” - Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson
In 2012, campaigns and outside groups spent $6 billion in federal elections with more than $1 billion of that by Super PACS. The top 32 Super PAC donors, individuals contributing an average of nearly $10 million each, matched all of the money small donors gave to the Obama and Romney campaigns combined.
