Your one-stop destination for political reform, government ethics and accountability news and updates from a nonpartisan perspective.
Earlier this week, the bipartisan Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress (or modernizing committee for short) held its first public hearing that solicited testimony from sitting members of Congress. Committee Chair Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA), Vice Chair Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA), and other members of the committee heard proposals from 35 of their Republican and Democratic House colleagues about
Read MoreThis op-ed originally appeared in RealClearPolitics. Last week, in the face of rising authoritarianism around the world and with their new majority in the House, Democrats passed the most robust package of democracy reform proposals in a generation, albeit along a strictly party-line vote. It was an important moment for the political party whose candidates ran on a reform agenda
Read MoreRepublican Rep. John Katko (NY-24) co-sponsored bipartisan legislation that ensures the public knows who is trying to influence their vote in elections and prevents lawmakers from abusing leadership PAC funds. “Everyone has a right to know who’s spending money to influence elections. We are heartened to see Representative Katko be a part of meaningful bipartisan reform efforts in the House
Read MoreBy Michael Beckel and Amisa Ratliff One of the open secrets in Washington is that the Democratic and Republican parties both lean on their most powerful legislators to raise extraordinary amounts of campaign cash, often under the guise of paying “party dues.” The more influential the role, the more money party leaders expect legislators to raise. And to meet these
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Last week, Representatives Derek Kilmer (D-WA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Scott Peters (D-CA), John Sarbanes (D-MD), Kathleen Rice (D-NY), Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), and Julia Brownley (D-CA) re-introduced bipartisan legislation to overhaul the dysfunctional Federal Election Commission (FEC) and to ensure effective and consistent enforcement of the nation’s election laws. The Restoring Integrity to America’s Elections Act (H.R. 1272) makes structural changes
Read MoreToday, the final members of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress were named to complete the newly created committee’s 12-person roster. The Republicans named were Vice-chair Rep. Tom Graves (GA), Rep. Susan Brooks (IN), Rep. Rodney Davis (IL), Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA), Rep. William Timmons (SC), and Rep. Rob Woodall (GA). The Democrats, named earlier this year, were Rep.
Read MoreTotal dark money spending since Citizens United nears $1 billion. The 2018 midterm election marked the first time liberal dark money groups outspent their conservative counterparts since the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision in January 2010, according to a new Issue One analysis of data from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. Combined, dark money groups spent approximately $150 million
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Thursday, Representatives Kathleen Rice (D-NY), Mike Gallagher (R-WI), and Derek Kilmer (D-WA) — three co-chairs of the Congressional Reformers Caucus — reintroduced the Political Accountability and Transparency Act (H.R. 679). The bipartisan legislation lays a solid foundation for ensuring the public knows who is trying to influence their vote in elections and preventing lawmakers from abusing leadership PAC funds. “It’s
Read MoreLast week, House Democrats introduced the most robust package of democracy reforms proposed in a generation as their lead priority for the 116th Congress. It is an incredibly heartening and hopeful sign for all of us concerned about the weakening of democracy at home and rapid rise of authoritarianism abroad. But we need more than good policy ideas at this
Read MoreIssue One CEO Nick Penniman released the following statement: A significant sign that change is coming to Washington is that one of the largest political juggernauts in the country — the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — is revising its decades-old Congressional scorecard to account for how bipartisan members of Congress are in their legislative work. The Chamber recognizes that dysfunction
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