Tester’s Constitutional amendment to end out-of-control spending in elections passes key vote

Senator’s amendment overturns Citizens United, allows Congress to regulate campaign spending

(U.S. SENATE) – Senator Jon Tester is praising a recent vote on his Constitutional amendment that reduces out-of-control spending in elections. The amendment was approved by the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights.

Tester’s amendment overturns the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision that allows unlimited amounts of corporate spending in federal elections. The court later used its decision to strike down Montana’s 1912 ban on direct corporate contributions to candidates.

Tester says his amendment will once again give Congress and states the power to limit spending in elections and make government work better.

“Citizens United opened the floodgates for corporations to spend unlimited amounts of secret money to distort our elections and drown out the voices of regular folks,” Tester said. “This amendment will put people and their ideas back in charge of our elections. It’s a needed step to move this country forward.”

Tester is also the author of another Constitutional amendment that affirms corporations are not people and do not have the same Constitutional rights. During Tester’s re-election campaign in 2012, more than $50 million – or $100 for every vote – was spent. During that election, Montanans voted by a 3-to-1 majority on a ballot referendum calling on the Montana Congressional delegation to introduce legislation affirming that corporations are not human beings with constitutional rights.

Tester also recently blasted the Supreme Court for its McCutcheon decision that struck down contribution limits preventing individuals from giving political organizations more than $123,000 each election cycle. The decision makes it easier for wealthy individuals to disproportionately influence the democratic process.

Tester’s amendment, which is co-authored by New Mexico Senator Tom Udall, is available online HERE.