Issue One is pleased to welcome former Homeland Security Secretary and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge to our ReFormers Caucus—growing the coalition to 150 members, one third of whom are Republicans. Gov. Ridge has dedicated his career to public service. He was appointed the first Homeland Security Secretary by George W. Bush following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Prior to
Read More
Rep. Joe Schwarz, a former Congressman from Michigan, recently gave an interview for Stateside on Michigan Radio. As a member of Issue One’s ReFormers Caucus, a bipartisan coalition of former congressmen, governors, cabinet secretaries and ambassadors who are concerned about money in politics, Rep. Schwarz succinctly described the fundraising addiction that afflicts our Congress, which he experienced first-hand in the
Read More
Amid the Republican Convention in Cleveland and the upcoming Democratic Convention in Philadelphia, the media and various organizations have been polling the public on what they think of the election. One storyline has consistently rung true: the people are fed up with the amount of money in our politics. First, let’s look at the youngest voting bloc — millennials —
Read More
While no one was looking, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization that hosts the Academy Awards, issued a major change in its campaigning policy this month. Time and time again Hollywood has borrowed from Washington for inspiration (think: House of Cards and The West Wing). With any luck, Washington will return the favor and look to
Read More
Today, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) fined three so-called “dark money” organizations for violating campaign finance laws by failing disclose the source of funds used for political spending and advertisements. The three groups — the 60 Plus Association, the American Future Fund and Americans for Job Security — are each a part of the Koch brothers’ network of interest groups
Read More
Former Ambassador and ReFormer Tim Roemer (D-IN) spoke last week at the historic Chautauqua Institution summer series, focusing on money and power. Throughout its history, Chautauqua has seen some of America’s greatest leaders share its space: Booker T. Washington, President Franklin Roosevelt, Vice President Al Gore and Governor Tom Ridge (a recent addition to the ReFormers Caucus). You can watch
Read MoreSince 2015, our elected leaders have had to spend hours fundraising, instead of doing their jobs. One of the biggest problems with our campaign finance system is that the ever-escalating price of running for office traps elected officials in an endless cycle of fundraising. It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, and members of Congress either spend big or get
Read More
As our country celebrates its independence, the ReFormers Caucus calls on Congress and the next president to make restoring the integrity of our democracy a top priority. Two hundred and forty years ago, our Founders fought against tyranny and boldly proposed a new form of government that would derive its power from the consent of the people. Today, this experiment in self-government
Read MoreRead “Why We Left Congress: How the Legislative Branch Is Broken and What We Can Do About It”
Issue One’s new joint report with the R Street Institute examines the legislative branch’s dysfunction through conversations with members who have voluntarily departed in the 2018 cycle. Read the full report and proposed solutions in “Why We Left Congress: How the Legislative Branch is Broken and What We Can Do About It” here.
