Restore Democracy Resolution

It is the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should enact and the states should ratify a constitutional amendment providing that any right of a corporation or other artificial entity to engage in political activity is not derived from the first amendment but from the laws of the United States and the states, and may be exercised only to the extent provided by such laws.

It is the sense of the House that: (1) the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission opened the door to the corrupting influence of money in politics; (2) Congress should have the power to regulate the raising and spending of money and in-kind equivalents with respect to federal elections; and (3) all political contributions should be publicly disclosed so that voters have complete information about who is paying for political advertisements.

The sense of the House is further declared regarding:

• creation of a small donor and public finance system for congressional elections,
• the power of Congress to implement and enforce campaign contribution and spending limits,
• the power of Congress to prohibit vote suppression activities,
• mandatory state online voter registration systems,
• declaration of Election Day as a legal public holiday,
• establishment of a federal reapportioment system that would create compact and contiguous congressional districts adhering to the existing standards of equal population,
• the power of the highest court of each state to reject congressional district maps that do not meet such criteria,
• hearings and reports on a bill or resolution by each committee to which the measure is referred,
• resolution of all items of difference by full conference committee membership,
• simultaneous House and Senate five-day work weeks in Washington and district work periods, and
• open rules for every bill brought to the floor of the House for a vote.