To: Tom Perez, DNC Chairperson
Tell the DNC: Reject for-profit corporate PAC donations and let the people's voices and votes be...
Democrats won big in 2018 with a clarion call to work #forthepeople not the special interests — to restore voting rights, clean up corruption, and center people in the debate over jobs, health care, and equality of opportunity.
As we look to 2020 and the fight to take on incumbent Donald Trump and potential billionaire spoilers, we know one thing: they've got money and we've got people — and in order to galvanize people, the DNC must take a firm stand against Citizens United and for grassroots power.
At the DNC, that means banning for profit corporate PAC dollars as we did from 2009–2016.
At its February meeting, the DNC will be in a position to make this crucial change.
Why is this important?
Spending more DNC money and political capital than we raise from for-profit corporate interests defending our receipt of for-profit corporate checks is a bad business proposition. Rather, we should welcome individual participation believing that each of us are equal at the ballot box and at the DNC.
The DNC has the chance to make a powerful structural change in that direction at its February 13-16, 2019 meeting in Washington, DC. Already, over twenty DNC members have signed on to a resolution, authored by DNC Member Christine Pelosi, to do so. The full text of the Resolution is below, along with the names of the co-sponsors.
We need to tell the DNC: Save our democracy! Uphold people over PACs! Reject for-profit corporate PAC donations! Pass the Resolution!
RESOLUTION TO EMPOWER GRASSROOTS DEMOCRATS WITH A CORPORATE PAC-FREE DNC
SUBMITTED BY
Christine Pelosi, California
Alexandra Chalupa, At Large
Larry Cohen, At Large
James Zogby, At Large
Becca Doten, California
Michael Kapp, California
Sandra Lowe, California
Melahat Rafiei, California
Susie Shannon, California
Jeri Shepard, Colorado
Terry Tucker, Colorado
Chris Reeves, Kansas
Michelle Deatrick, Michigan
Winston Apple, Missouri
Persephone Dakopolos, Missouri
Megan Green, Missouri
Ron Kaminski, Nebraska
Jane Kleeb, Nebraska
Frank LaMere, Nebraska
Patty Zieg, Nebraska
Senator Nina Turner, Ohio
Valdez Bravo, Oregon
Travis Nelson, Oregon
Tanya Shively, Oregon
Kat Hoang, Texas
Daisy Thomas, Utah
Terje Anderson, Vermont
Yasmine Taeb, Virginia
Khary Penebaker, Wisconsin
Andrew Werthmann, Wisconsin
Jessica Chambers, Wyoming
WHEREAS, millions of Americans voted in a "blue wave" of Democrats ready to work for the people and restore integrity in government - including dozens of candidates elected to party and public office from sea to shining sea who ran on a platform to End Citizens United, take no corporate PAC money, and empower individuals over corporate interests; and
WHEREAS, as President Barack Obama said in his farewell address, "When trust in our institutions is low, we should reduce the corrosive influence of money in our politics, and insist on the principles of transparency and ethics in public service;" and
WHEREAS, many of our most engaged activists believe that a pledge to take no for-profit corporate PAC money will gain the trust and support of millions of grassroots donors and revive our national party during the critical 2020 presidential election;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Democratic National Committee acts to revive trust in our Party by reaffirming President Obama's BAN on for-profit corporate PAC donations to the DNC, placing us in line with the sentiments of our diverse grassroots Democrats so that more people's voices can be heard at the DNC and across the country; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chair or his designee report on a quarterly basis to the public and this body on our party's compliance with this resolution.