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Your one-stop destination for political reform, government ethics and accountability news and updates from a nonpartisan perspective.

The continuing “Price of Power”: How the political parties leaned on legislative leaders for cash during the 115th Congress

Congress

 By 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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Seven lawmakers introduce bipartisan bill to fix the Federal Election Commission

Federal

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

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Issue One statement: Members of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress should seize this historic opportunity

Congress

Today, 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.

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In 2018 midterms, liberal dark money groups outspent conservative counterparts for first time since Citizens United

Dark Money

Total 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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Political Accountability and Transparency Act reintroduced in 116th Congress

Congress

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

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Issue One CEO Nick Penniman: House Democrats must reach out to Republicans to create a bipartisan comprehensive political reform proposal.

Uncategorized

Last 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

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Issue One commends U.S. Chamber of Commerce for adding bipartisanship to congressional scorecard, urges business lobby to join fight for political reform

Congress

Issue 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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Issue One applauds the House for prioritizing modernizing Congress and strong accountability provisions in House Rules package for the 116th Congress

Uncategorized

Issue One – in partnership with the Rebuild Congress Initiative – has been aggressively pushing for the creation of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress that was just passed with overwhelming bipartisan support from 418 Republicans and Democrats who all acknowledge that the legislative branch needs to be brought into the 21st century.  “The House Democratic leadership should

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“Why We Left Congress”: Excerpts of Our Conversation with Rep. Rick Nolan (D-MN)

Congress

Congressman Rick Nolan (D-MN) has had an unconventional career in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was first elected to Congress in 1974 and went on to serve three terms representing Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District. After 32 years out of office, he was again elected to Congress in 2012, this time representing Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District, which encompasses most of

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“Why We Left Congress”: Excerpts of Our Conversation with Rep. Jimmy Duncan (R-TN)

Congress

Congressman Jimmy Duncan (R-TN) has represented Tennessee’s 2nd Congressional District for 30 years. He was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in a 1988 special election following the death of his father, Congressman John Duncan, who had been in office since 1965. During the 115th Congress, Duncan served as the vice chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure

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