'OCCUPY' amendment would ban corporate money from politics

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 by: J. D. Heyes
Tags: corporate money, politics, health news

(NaturalNews) Inspired by the "Occupy" protests, Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., has an idea - it's time to strip corporations of "personhood" banning their money from the political process.

"No matter how long protesters camp out across America, big banks will continue to pour money into shadow groups promoting candidates more likely to slash Medicaid for poor children than help families facing foreclosure," says Deutch in a statement released last week.

His legislation, called the "OCCUPIED Amendment" (Outlawing Corporate Cash Undermining the Public Interest in our Elections and Democracy), overturns a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision (Citizens United v Federal Election Commission) that considers corporate campaign contributions to federal elections as an exercise in free speech.

Deutch's act would reestablish Congress as the supreme authority in deciding federal campaign laws, while limiting the amount of money for-profit corporations can contribute to them.

"No matter how strongly Ohio families fight for basic fairness for workers, the Koch Brothers will continue to pour millions into campaigns aimed at protecting the wealthiest 1 percent. No matter how fed up seniors in South Florida are with an agenda that puts oil subsidies ahead of Social Security and Medicare, corporations will continue to fund massive publicity campaigns and malicious attack ads against the public interest," Deutch said in a statement.

"Americans of all stripes agree that for far too long, corporations have occupied Washington and drowned out the voices of the people. I introduced the OCCUPIED Amendment because of the corporate control of our democracy. It is time to return the nation's capital and our democracy to the people," he said.

Unions and other non-profit organizations will still be able to continue contributing to elections, said Deutch.

"One thing that's been clear throughout the protests all across the country is that people are tired of a political system that they believe doesn't respond to their needs, that doesn't reflect the interests of the American people, and that caters to the corporations that have occupied Washington for far too long," he said.