A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to restore the rights of the American people that were taken away by the Supreme Court's decision in the Citizens United case and related decisions, to protect the integrity of our elections, and to limit the corrosive influence of money in our democratic process.

Bill: 114-sjres-4
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
Introduced: 2015-01-21
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Constitution and constitutional amendments

Elections, voting, political campaign regulation
Latest action: action_date: 2015-01-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-01-21
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Constitutional Amendment</b></p> <p>Declares that, whereas the right to vote in public elections belongs only to natural persons as U.S. citizens, so shall the ability to make contributions and expenditures to influence the outcome of public elections belong only to natural persons. </p> <p>Declares that nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to restrict the power of Congress and the states to protect the integrity and fairness of the electoral process, limit the corrupting influence of private wealth in public elections, and guarantee the dependence of elected officials on the people alone by taking certain actions.</p> <p>Includes among such actions: (1) the establishment of systems of public financing for elections; (2) the imposition of requirements to ensure the disclosure of contributions and expenditures made to influence the outcome of a public election by candidates, individuals, and associations of individuals; and (3) the imposition of content neutral limitations on all such contributions and expenditures.</p> <p>Declares that nothing in this Article shall be construed to alter freedom of the press.</p> <p>Grants Congress and the states power to enforce this Amendment through appropriate legislation.</p>

tv_txt: IIA 114th CONGRESS 1st Session S. J. RES. 4 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES January 21, 2015 Mr. Sanders introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary JOINT RESOLUTION Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to restore the rights of the American people that were taken away by the Supreme Court's decision in the Citizens United case and related decisions, to protect the integrity of our elections, and to limit the corrosive influence of money in our democratic process.

That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years after the date of its submission for ratification: — 1. Whereas the right to vote in public elections belongs only to natural persons as citizens of the United States, so shall the ability to make contributions and expenditures to influence the outcome of public elections belong only to natural persons in accordance with this Article. 2. Nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to restrict the power of Congress and the States to protect the integrity and fairness of the electoral process, limit the corrupting influence of private wealth in public elections, and guarantee the dependence of elected officials on the people alone by taking actions which may include the establishment of systems of public financing for elections, the imposition of requirements to ensure the disclosure of contributions and expenditures made to influence the outcome of a public election by candidates, individuals, and associations of individuals, and the imposition of content neutral limitations on all such contributions and expenditures. 3. Nothing in this Article shall be construed to alter the freedom of the press. 4. Congress and the States shall have the power to enforce this Article through appropriate legislation. .