The latest news from Issue One as we unite Republicans, Democrats, and independents in the movement to fix our broken political system.
Last week, Reps. Katie Porter (D-CA) and Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) introduced a bill to begin cracking down on so-called “scam PACs.” These political action committees mislead their donors by falsely claiming to support a campaign, cause, or charity while spending little if any of their money for its stated purpose — instead using it to enrich the political operatives behind
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Despite the public health and economic crises spawned by the coronavirus pandemic, money continues to pour into the 2020 presidential race, according to new campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. Here are some of the most vital numbers to know from these new campaign finance filings, which detail the money presidential candidates raised and spent in April:
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Today, in an open letter to Congress published in USA Today, a bipartisan group of 110 former members of Congress, governors, and Cabinet secretaries who are all part of Issue One’s ReFormers Caucus urged current lawmakers to embrace institutional reforms in the wake of the public health and economic crises spurred by the coronavirus pandemic. “We hope that leaders in
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Issue One Executive Director Meredith McGehee issued the following statement in the wake of the Senate’s confirmation of Texas attorney Trey Trainor to serve on the Federal Election Commission, which ends the longest period in the agency’s history without the quorum necessary for it to do its job — nearly nine months. “We hope that Trey Trainor will faithfully uphold
Read MoreIssue One Executive Director Meredith McGehee warned that Texas lawyer Trey Trainor is the wrong choice to serve as a commissioner on the Federal Election Commission ahead of the Senate’s expected vote today on his nomination: “Trey Trainor is the wrong choice to serve on the Federal Election Commission. Reopening the FEC with a commissioner who does not think we
Read MoreThe COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges for leaders around the world. Yet, the U.S. Congress currently lacks a clear emergency preparedness plan for maintaining its operations during this crisis. Yesterday, groups from across the political spectrum, including the Bipartisan Policy Center, College to Congress, Demand Progress, Democracy Fund Voice, Issue One, R Street Institute, POPVOX CEO Marci Harris, and
Read More“[T]his episode is a little different because it’s about part of the swamp changing for the better, a truly positive development amid plenty of dysfunction. It’s a story of bipartisan cooperation that is increasingly rare these days.” On this week’s episode of Issue One’s “Swamp Stories” podcast, host Weston Wamp walks us through the origin story of one of the
Read MoreToday, the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship Foundation launched the Brewer Fellowship to Unite America — a new program to support leaders in the democracy reform space — in partnership with Cultivate the Karass and supported by the Unite America Fund. Issue One is proud to announce that our Founder and CEO Nick Penniman, as well as Nilmini Rubin, Managing Director and
Read MoreToday, in the first week that the Senate is back in session, the Senate Rules Committee will consider the nomination of Trey Trainor to the Federal Election Commission, likely clearing the way for a full Senate vote. In response to the news, Issue One Executive Director Meredith McGehee issued the following statement: “The FEC has gone far too long without
Read MoreOutside groups, especially super PACs and dark money organizations, frequently skirt anti-coordination rules designed to prevent wealthy donors and special interests from garnering undue influence in our elections– effectively violating contribution limits that protect against “corruption or the appearance of corruption.” Begun earlier this year, Coordination Watch identifies notable instances of coordination between outside groups and candidates. This project details
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