Legislation & Testimony
Voting Rights & Elections
Testimony of Deborah Goldberg on Nixon v. Shrink Missouri Government PAC, and Its Implications for Federal Campaign Finance Reform
What comes through most strikingly from Shrink Missouri - and not only from the majority opinion - is the Court’s profound concern about the state of our democracy. The Court was painfully aware that “[d]emocracy works ‘only if the people have fait
– 03/22/00
Brennan Center Letter Opposing the Nomination of Bradley Smith to FEC
The Brennan Center urges the Senate to reject Bradley Smith as FEC nominee
– 03/03/00
Poison Pill Amendments To Campaign Finance Reform: Hazards To The Health Of Democracy
Opponents of campaign finance reform are seeking to kill the Shays-Meehan bill (H.R. 417) by attaching poison pill amendments that no true supporter of democracy should swallow.
– 08/30/99
Bradley A. Smith: A Potential FEC Nominee Who Would Repeal All Election Laws And Abolish The Agency He Aspires To Head
Imagine the President nominating an Attorney General who believes that most of our criminal laws are “profoundly undemocratic” and unconstitutional.
– 06/03/99
Statement of ACLU Leadership Supporting Constitutionality of Efforts to Enact Reasonable Campaign Finance Reform
“We believe that the First Amendment is designed to safeguard a functioning and fair democracy. The current system of campaign financing makes a mockery of that ideal by enabling the rich to set the national agenda, and to exercise disproportionate influe
Authored by: ACLU
– 06/19/98
Letter to FEC Re: Regulation of Express Advocacy
The Brennan Center believes that the F.E.C. properly rejected the “magic words” approach recently adopted by the First Circuit in Maine Right to Life, in favor of the long-standing and better reasoned decision of the Ninth Circuit in F.E.C. v. F
– 12/08/97
Letter to Senators McCain and Feingold Regarding Challenges to Components of S.25, the McCain-Feingold bill
Letter from Academics to respond to a series of public challenges to two components of S.25, the McCain-Feingold bill.
– 09/22/97
Statement and List of 126 Scholars Affirming the Constitutionality of Banning Soft Money and Providing Incentives to Reduce Campaign Spending
Academics respond to a series of public challenges to the McCain-Feingold bill.
– 09/22/97