I’ve talked about a “secret weapon” we can use in the fight to get money out of Congress before. I’ve mentioned it in: Get Money Out of Politics and on our page about Medicare for All.
Why? With corporations and lobby groups bribing our politicians, they no longer work for us. They aren’t representing their constituents in the way they vote or with the legislation they sponsor.
Getting rid of the money in Congress means politicians will once again work for their constituents in order to earn their campaign donations and their votes.
You’ve already seen the effects of getting rid of corporate donors with Senator Josh Hawley and Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene. Both of them have changed to a more populist view on certain issues.
Greene stopped taking corporate PAC money most recently and now supports the Democrats’ in extending the Affordable Care Act subsidies before they expire in December. She’s also working with a Democrat, Ro Khanna, to get the Epstein files released. Would she have gone against her party to vote for something to help her constituents previously? No!
The “Secret Weapon” in the Fight to Get Money Out of Congress
I decided to highlight the website duo I refer to as a “secret weapon” in a separate post that people can refer to. Here are the details:
Part One
The first part of the “weapon” is an official government website where you can view any bill in Congress— past or present—and if Congress has already voted on the legislation, view the roll call votes (the way each member of the Senate or House of Representatives voted). You can also read exactly what’s in the bill.
Reading about the provisions in a bill yourself is better than relying solely on what provisions the media says it contains.
Why is this important? By viewing how your Senator or Representative voted, you’ll have the first part of your ‘undeniable fact.’
Example: “My Senator, Ted Cruz, voted “NO” on the No More Kids Shot common-sense gun reform bill. “
(View the facts about the percentage of Americans who support common-sense gun reform legislation.)
Link: Bill Details and Roll Call Votes
Part Two
Part two is a website where you can look up any member of Congress and view every corporation or lobbying group that donates to them. You can also view the total amount of money that the member has taken from each donor over time.
Why is this important? Knowing who is donating to your politician and how much they’ve donated is the second part of the ‘undeniable fact’ that will help to get money out of Congress.
Example: “Ted Cruz has taken money from the NRA (National Rifle Association) and the gun manufacturers’ lobby.” “He’s taken $2.5 million from them since he’s been in Congress.”
Link: Donors and Total Amount in Donations
Final Result
Now you have the complete ‘undeniable fact.’
“Ted Cruz has taken $1.5 million from the gun lobby, which explains why he voted “NO” on the No More Kids Shot gun reform bill that would’ve required mandatory background checks and implemented red flag laws.
Or “Ted Cruz, you voted against the new gun reform bill because you’re paid by the gun lobby not to pass any type of gun reform legislation. Do you care about money more than the safety of our children?”
By using the “secret weapon,” you can arm yourself with the facts and the proof needed to confront your Senator/Representative or to educate others about their corruption. It’s the perfect way to find more people in support of the fight to get money out of Congress.
It’s time for our Representatives to represent US—not their donors.
