February, 03 2010, 12:33pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Mary Boyle, Common Cause, (202) 487-0518
Adam Smith (202) 997-8929
Religious Leaders to Pelosi: Pass Fair Elections in Wake of Citizen United Ruling
WASHINGTON
More than 200 faith leaders representing a diversity of religions
have signed onto a letter to Congress expressing concern over the
Supreme Court's decision to reverse decades of campaign finance law to
allow unlimited corporate spending on elections. The faith leaders are
also pledging to work with their congregations to encourage passage of
legislation that put voters - not special interests - in charge of our
democracy. Common Cause and Public Campaign released the letter
Wednesday.
"We believe existing campaign finance laws already permit the unfair
influence of persons and groups with extraordinary wealth over the
political process by providing them with special access to elected
officials," the religious leaders wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
(D-CA). "This special access ultimately results in legislative outcomes
that reflect the needs of those with the financial means to make
political contributions, and not the needs of the poor or
disenfranchised."
"We believe Congress must address both the Citizens United
decision and the problems of the current campaign finance system by
passing the Fair Elections Now Act (S. 752 and H.R. 1826). This measure
would empower average people to participate in politics with small
donations, and would return the gaze of our elected officials solely to
the needs of their districts and the nation as a whole, rather than the
interests of those with significant financial resources for campaigns,"
the letter continued.
Common Cause President Bob Edgar, a United Methodist minister and
former head of the National Council of Churches, organized the faith
leaders to sign the letter. "Religious leaders were shocked to see the
Supreme Court make a ruling that goes so far to further diminish the
voices of society's most needy," Edgar said. "But there is something
Congress must do: pass the Fair Elections Now Act to create a campaign
finance system that makes elected official beholden to all people - not
just the wealthy special interests."
Signers include the Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA; Archbishop Vicken Aykazian of the Armenian Apostolic Church; Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed, national director of the Office for Interfaith and Community Alliances of the Islamic Society of America and Rabbi Michael Lerner, editor of Tikkun, rabbi of Beyt Tikkun Synagogoe of San Francisco and chair of the Network of Spiritual Progressives; Rev. Dr. James Forbes, former senior pastor, Riverside Church, New York, NY, and Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., president and CEO of the Hip Hop Caucus.
Click here to read the letter and the complete list of signers.
Common Cause is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process.
(202) 833-1200LATEST NEWS
New Jersey Governor Signs Freedom to Read Act Barring Book Bans
The law, said the Democrat, "cements New Jersey's role on the forefront of preventing book bans and protecting the intellectual freedom of our educators and students."
Dec 09, 2024
Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday signed legislation protecting librarians and prohibiting public schools and libraries from banning books—a move that came as Republican state lawmakers are proscribing a record number of titles, many of them works addressing sexual orientation, gender identity, and racial injustice.
Flanked by educators, librarians, and other advocates, Murphy signed
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"The Freedom to Read Act cements New Jersey's role on the forefront of preventing book bans and protecting the intellectual freedom of our educators and students," said Murphy. "Across the nation, we have seen attempts to suppress and censor the stories and experiences of others. I'm proud to amplify the voices of our past and present, as there is no better way for our children to prepare for the future than to read freely."
According to a statement from Murphy's office:
Under the law, boards of education and governing boards of public libraries are barred from excluding books because of the origin, background, or views of the material or of its authors. Further, boards of education and governing boards of public libraries are prevented from censoring library material based on a disagreement with a viewpoint, idea, or concept, or solely because an individual finds certain content offensive, unless they are restricting access to developmentally inappropriate material for certain age groups.
The legislation "also provides protections for library staff members against civil and criminal lawsuits related to complying with this law."
New Jersey Association of School Librarians President Karen Grant said that "the Freedom to Read Act recognizes the professionalism, honor, work ethics, and performance of school and public library staff" and "promotes libraries as trusted sources of information and recognizes the many roles that libraries play in students' lives."
"The bill will protect the intellectual freedom of students as well as acknowledge that school libraries are centers for voluntary inquiry, fostering students' growth and development," Grant added. "Additionally, we are grateful for the broad coalition of support from so many organizations for this legislation."
The leader of one of those groups—Garden State Equality executive director Christian Fuscarino—said, "Gov. Murphy just made it clear: In New Jersey, censorship loses, and freedom wins."
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Progressives in Congress and other migrant rights advocates sharply criticized U.S. President-elect Donald Trump for his comments on immigration during a Sunday interview, including on his hopes to end birthright citizenship.
During a 76-minute interview with NBC News' Kristen Welker, Trump said he "absolutely" intends to end birthright citizenship, potentially through executive order, despite the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Among many lies the Republican told, he also falsely claimed that the United States is the only country to offer citizenship by birth; in fact, there are dozens.
In response,
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Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), the daughter of Guatemalan immigrants, said in a statement: "'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.' It is important to remember who we are, where many of us came from, and why many of our families traveled here to be greeted by the Mother of Exiles, the Statue of Liberty."
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Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) highlighted the difficulties of passing constitutional amendments while discussing Trump in a Monday appearance on CNN. The incoming chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus was born in the Dominican Republic and is the first formerly undocumented immigrant elected to Congress.
As Mother Jones reporter Isabela Dias detailed Monday:
Critics of ending birthright citizenship for the U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants argue it would not only constitute bad policy, but also a betrayal of American values and, as one scholar put it to me, a "prelude" to mass deportation.
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