The Congressional Reformers Caucus, the first organization of its kind on Capitol Hill dedicated to political reform ideas and legislation, has grown its ranks to 32 Representatives of the 115th Congress — 16 Republicans and 16 Democrats. The Caucus aims to address the roots of dysfunction in Congress and the current political system and is co-chaired by two members from
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U.S. Senate candidates will begin electronically filing their campaign finance reports in October thanks to a provision contained in an appropriations bill signed into law today by President Donald Trump. The provision — supported by a bipartisan majority of sitting senators and broad coalition of more than 20 advocacy organizations led by Issue One — was first introduced in the
Read MoreToday, Issue One welcomes veteran advocate Ethan Rome as Chief of Communications, Marketing and Strategic Initiatives. “As Issue One continues to grow, we’re pleased to bring on Ethan who has a sterling track record of innovative and successful strategic campaigns,” said Issue One CEO Nick Penniman. “His skills will be invaluable as we gear up for the clear challenge over
Read MoreToday, the Senate Appropriations Committee and House Appropriations Committee announced an agreement on H.R. 5895, the minibus appropriations package for fiscal year 2019 comprised of the Energy and Water Development; Military Construction and Veterans Affairs; and Legislative Branch Appropriations Acts. Issue One urges the House and Senate to act swiftly to approve this legislation in the wake of the news
Read MoreAs President Trump and the White House prepare to convene the National Security Council to discuss election security, Issue One CEO Nick Penniman issued the following statement: “Election security should include efforts to increase transparency in our political system. The Honest Ads Act, which would do just that for online political advertising, is waiting for more leadership and attention. We
Read MoreAll week, transparency advocates around the country, including Issue One, have been observing Sunshine Week — an annual affair that honors open government and the public’s right to access information. One easy way that Congress could commemorate Sunshine Week this year would be to pass the Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity Act (S. 298) — a bipartisan bill that would not
Read MoreOn Wednesday, Representatives Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Ken Buck (R-CO) and 12 other lawmakers of both parties are calling on President Donald Trump to immediately recommend nominees to fill vacancies on the Federal Election Commission (FEC). “President Trump has an opportunity to practice what he preached during his campaign — to be the outsider who doesn’t continue this inside-the-beltway game-playing
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A new report from Issue One called “The Ethics Blind Spot” details how in at least 175 public and confidential ethics investigations over the past decade, the House Ethics Committee has compiled a record that fails to foster a culture of high ethical standards in Congress. The Committee’s tepid interpretations of ethics rules and timid approach to enforcement undermines public
Read MoreToday, Issue One submitted a letter opposing a provision slipped into a government funding bill (FY2018 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Bill) that would weaken rules limiting coordination between political parties and candidates. “This provision is a backdoor attempt that would allow more access and influence for deep-pocketed donors at a time when the American people are already frustrated
Read MoreUpdate, January 8, 2018: Reps. Kurt Schrader (D-OR) and David Young (R-IA) both cosponsored the Honest Ads Act. This brings the total number of sponsors of the bill to 16. Today, New Jersey Republican Rep. Leonard Lance and Maryland Democratic Rep. John Sarbanes joined in sponsoring the bipartisan, bicameral legislation to begin protecting U.S. politics from foreign interference. This brings the
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