From our friend, Karen.
From: Tom Udall Press Office
Sent: Monday, May 21, 2018 5:07 PM
To: Tom Udall Press Office <NEWS_PressOffice@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Udall, House & Senate Democratic Leaders Unveil A Better Deal For Our
Democracy For Immediate Release May 21, 2018 Contact: Ned Adriance
202.228.6870 |news@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx| @SenatorTomUdall Udall, House &
Senate Democratic Leaders Unveil A Better Deal For Our Democracy WASHINGTON
– Today,U.S. Senator Tom Udall and House and Senate Democrats held a press
conference on the steps of the United States Capitol to unveil the newest plank
of their bold economic agenda,A Better Deal for Our Democracy, to fix
Washington’s broken political system and return to a government of, by and for
the American people. This new plank of Democrats' A Better Deal agenda focuses
on taking back the power from special interests and getting rid of the
pay-to-play culture of corruption, cronyism and incompetence embodied by the
Trump administration, which has led to political dysfunction and a raw deal for
the American people. Udall has led the fight in Washington to enact
comprehensive democratic and electoral reforms to restore integrity,
accountability, and transparency to our broken political system. He has
introduced the bicameral We the People Democracy Reform Act, landmark
legislation to fix our nation’s campaign finance system and empower voters.
Video of today’s press conference is availableHERE. “New Mexicans and
Americans are no longer in charge of their own democracy. We are being drowned
out by billionaires and special interests who can spend unlimited and
undisclosed money to flood the airwaves and call the shots. Now even foreign
interests are getting in on the act,”said Udall. “Those big money donors have
hired an administration that will betray the public trust in a heartbeat – and
a Republican congressional leadership that is rewarding their donors with tax
cuts while taking away health care from families. Americans look at people like
Scott Pruitt, and they see a Washington that is not just hopelessly out of
touch, but fundamentally working against their interests. Democrats are
stepping up to offer A Better Deal for Our Democracy, with historic reforms to
end the stranglehold of big money on our electoral system and put the American
people back in charge. American democracy shouldn’t have a price for entry.
It’s time we took back our democracy and returned it to the hands of all
Americans, instead of a privileged, powerful few.” “President Trump famously
campaigned on ‘draining the swamp’ but he so far he has filled it up with
pay-to-play schemes inside and outside his administration. From Michael Cohen
cashing in more than a million dollars promising influence of the president, to
Mick Mulvaney admitting to donors that donations equal access, President Trump
has made it clear that draining the swamp is yet another broken promise,”said
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). “Democrats are proposing a
better deal for the American people – one that actually cleans up corruption
and loosens the vice-grip that special interests have over Washington
Republicans and the Trump administration by strengthening our nation’s ethics
laws to restore integrity to government service.” “The White House and GOP
Congress’ big donor-driven agenda is sticking the American people with a raw
deal,”said Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). “Republicans are putting
special interests and lobbyists before hard-working families – from handing
billion-dollar tax breaks to Wall Street and wealthy corporations shipping jobs
overseas, to prioritizing dirty energy polluters destroying our clean air and
clean water, from refusing to stand up to Big Pharma’s outrageous price hikes
on sick children, seniors and working families. Democrats are committed to
giving the American people A Better Deal for Our Democracy that will put the
power back in the hands of the people and ensure our political system works for
everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected.” “Once upon a time,
Donald Trump said he didn’t want Koch money or anything else from them. It
turns out the Kochs and other self-interested billionaires have installed their
corporate operatives throughout the Trump administration. And when the special
interests are calling the shots, that can have profound implications for public
health, the environment and the economy,”said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
(D-R.I.). “This is not democracy. This is the corruption of democracy to
benefit narrow special interests at everyone else’s expense.” “Americans are
tired of getting a raw deal from Washington. They've had it with all the
backroom dealing, influence peddling and special-interest policymaking that
goes on in this town,” said Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.), Chair of the
Democracy Reform Task Force. “Democrats hear that frustration and we’re
committed to delivering real reforms that return us to a government of, by and
for the people. The bold new agenda that we’re rolling out today will clean up
the chaos and corruption in Washington and put the people's interests ahead of
special interests.” “You can look no further than the hundreds of billions
in taxpayer dollars Washington Republicans gave to corporate special interests
to see they care more about lining the pockets of donors than the people they
were elected to serve,” said Democratic Policy and Communications Committee
Co-Chair Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.). “That is why we are offering A
Better Deal, with stronger ethics laws, transparency and real accountability to
ensure lawmakers are fighting for hardworking everyday Americans, not greedy
special interests.” “We can’t continue letting special interest money pour in
and silence the voices of our communities,”said Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal
(D-Wash.). “This is supposed to be a government by and for The People, not one
held hostage by faceless corporations. So long as groups like the NRA can
spend billions to influence Republican legislators, we won’t see the reforms
that our nation so desperately needs. Americans don’t deserve this raw deal –
we deserve a better one and we can have it.” The full A Better Deal for our
Democracy can be viewedhere.