IV 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 298 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding steps that 
Congress should take to restore democracy and change the way we 
do politics in the United States by reducing the influence of money 
and corporations and promoting the participation of the people in politics 
and government. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 4, 2015 
Mr. NOLAN submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committees on 
Rules and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regard-
ing steps that Congress should take to restore democracy 
and change the way we do politics in the United States 
by reducing the influence of money and corporations 
and promoting the participation of the people in politics 
and government. 
Resolved, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Restore Democ-
racy Resolution’’. 
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SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
It is the purpose of this resolution to express the 
sense of the House of Representatives that Congress 
should— 
(1) confirm that money is not free speech by 
making clear that corporations are not people for 
purposes of the First Amendment right to make 
campaign contributions; 
(2) clarify its power to set limits on the amount 
of money that can be spent on a campaign for elec-
tion for Federal office; 
(3) clarify its power to provide for the public fi-
nancing of elections; 
(4) limit the campaign advertising season to 60 
days before an election and prohibit candidates from 
soliciting or collecting campaign contributions during 
legislative sessions; 
(5) protect the constitutional right to vote by 
expanding online voter registration systems; 
(6) emphasize the need for compact, contiguous 
Congressional districts that are not gerrymandered 
to favor an incumbent or political party; and 
(7) restore regular order in the legislative proc-
ess by requiring bills to go through committee con-
sideration and come to the floor under an open rule. 
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TITLE 
I—OVERTURNING 
CITI-
ZENS UNITED DECISION AND 
CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP 
SEC. 101. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO OVERTURN 
CITIZENS 
UNITED 
DECISION 
AND 
COR-
PORATE CITIZENSHIP FOR PURPOSES OF PO-
LITICAL ACTIVITY. 
It is the sense of the House of Representatives that, 
in order to overturn the decision of the Supreme Court 
in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commis-
sion (558 U.S. 310), Congress should enact and the States 
should ratify a constitutional amendment providing that 
any right of a corporation, other business organization, 
or other artificial entity to engage in political activity, in-
cluding the making of contributions and expenditures for 
the purpose of influencing an election for public office or 
a ballot measure, is not derived from the first amendment 
but from the laws of the United States and the States, 
and may be exercised only to the extent provided by such 
laws. 
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TITLE 
II—FULL 
DISCLOSURE 
AND REDUCING THE INFLU-
ENCE OF MONEY IN POLITICS 
SEC. 201. FULL DISCLOSURE AND REDUCING THE INFLU-
ENCE OF MONEY IN POLITICS. 
It is the sense of the House of Representatives that— 
(1) the case of Citizens United v. Federal Elec-
tion Commission (558 U.S. 310) opened the door to 
the corrupting influence of money in politics; 
(2) in order to restore the American people’s 
faith in the integrity of their elected government, 
Congress should have the power to regulate the rais-
ing and spending of money and in-kind equivalents 
with respect to Federal elections, including through 
regulating— 
(A) the amount of contributions to can-
didates for nomination or election to Federal of-
fice, 
(B) the amount of expenditures that may 
be made by, in support of, or in opposition to 
such candidates, and 
(C) the content and integrity of such ex-
penditures; and 
(3) all political contributions should be publicly 
disclosed, including those made to or by independent 
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groups, so that voters have complete information 
about who is paying for political advertisements. 
TITLE 
III—PROVIDING 
FOR 
SMALL DONOR AND PUBLIC 
FINANCING OF ELECTIONS 
SEC. 301. PROVIDING FOR SMALL DONOR AND PUBLIC FI-
NANCING OF ELECTIONS. 
It is the sense of the House of Representatives that, 
in order to eliminate the undue influence of money in poli-
tics— 
(1) Congress should create a small donor and 
public finance system for Congressional elections, 
which will ensure that Congress is responsible to vot-
ers instead of well-financed special interests; and 
(2) Members of Congress should devote their 
full time to regular order and governing instead of 
campaign fundraising. 
TITLE IV—LIMITING THE 
CAMPAIGN SEASON 
SEC. 401. LIMITING THE CAMPAIGN SEASON. 
It is the sense of the House of Representatives that— 
(1) Congress should have the power to imple-
ment and enforce limits on when money can be 
spent on campaign activities; 
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(2) registered candidates for Congressional elec-
tions should not be allowed to expend campaign 
funds on advertising more than 60 days before a pri-
mary or general election; 
(3) candidates for Congressional office, both in-
cumbents and challengers, should not be allowed to 
solicit or collect campaign contributions during the 
hours in which Congress is in session; and 
(4) States should create a single Congressional 
primary date to increase voter education and partici-
pation. 
TITLE V—PROTECTING THE 
RIGHT TO VOTE 
SEC. 501. PROTECTING THE RIGHT TO VOTE. 
It is the sense of the House of Representatives that— 
(1) Congress has the power to prohibit voter 
suppression activities; 
(2) in order to increase voter access and partici-
pation, Congress should require every State to create 
and maintain an online voter registration system; 
and 
(3) Congress should make Election Day a legal 
public holiday. 
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TITLE 
VI—ELIMINATING 
PAR-
TISAN REDISTRICTING AND 
GERRYMANDERING 
SEC. 601. ELIMINATING PARTISAN REDISTRICTING AND 
GERRYMANDERING. 
It is the sense of the House of Representatives that— 
(1) Congress should establish a Federal re-
apportionment system that would create compact 
and contiguous Congressional districts that, to the 
greatest extent possible, follow geographic bound-
aries and county lines; 
(2) Congressional districts should not favor or 
disfavor an incumbent or political party; 
(3) Congressional districts should adhere to the 
existing standards of equal population; and 
(4) the highest court of each State should have 
the power to reject Congressional district maps that 
do not meet the above criteria. 
TITLE 
VII—REQUIRING 
REG-
ULAR ORDER IN HOUSE AND 
SENATE 
SEC. 701. REQUIRING REGULAR ORDER IN THE HOUSE AND 
SENATE. 
It is the sense of the House of Representatives that— 
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(1) it should not be in order to consider a bill 
or resolution in the House unless each committee to 
which the bill or resolution is referred— 
(A) had a hearing on the bill or resolution 
at which amendments were permitted to be of-
fered and debated and a vote was taken on each 
amendment offered and on final passage, and 
(B) filed a report with respect to the bill 
or resolution; 
(2) a conference report should not be filed in 
the House unless— 
(A) the conference committee held at least 
3 meetings in which all members of the con-
ference committee were allowed to be present, 
(B) all items of difference between the 
House and Senate were addressed, voted on, 
and resolved by the full conference committee 
membership, and 
(C) printed or electronic copies of the con-
ference report and the accompanying joint ex-
planatory statement were available to Members 
and Delegates for at least 48 hours prior to fil-
ing; 
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(3) the House and Senate should schedule si-
multaneous 5-day work weeks in Washington and 
district work periods; and 
(4) every bill brought to committee should be 
open to amendment and every bill brought to the 
floor of the House for a vote should be considered 
under an open rule. 
Æ 
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