Pass 'Fair Elections Act'

WASHINGTON, D.C. — More than 200 faith leaders representing a diversity of religions have signed onto a letter to Congress expressing concern over the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse decades of campaign finance law to allow unlimited corporate spending on elections. More than 20 United Methodists, including Jim Winkler, chief executive of the General Board of Church & Society, endorsed the letter.

The faith leaders also pledged to work with their congregations to encourage passage of legislation that puts voters, not special interests, in charge of the U.S. political process.

More than 20 United Methodists … endorsed the letter.

Common Cause and Public Campaign released the letter Feb. 3. The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 on Jan. 21 in favor of unrestricted campaign contributions to individual candidates by corporations.

“We believe existing campaign finance laws already permit the unfair influence of persons and groups with extraordinary wealth over the political process by providing them with special access to elected officials,” the religious leaders wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “This special access ultimately results in legislative outcomes that reflect the needs of those with the financial means to make political contributions, and not the needs of the poor or disenfranchised.”

The letter states that Congress must address both the Citizens United decision and the problems of the current campaign finance system by passing the “Fair Elections Now Act” (S. 752 and H.R. 1826). “This measure would empower average people to participate in politics with small donations,” according to the letter, “and would return the gaze of our elected officials solely to the needs of their districts and the nation as a whole, rather than the interests of those with significant financial resources for campaigns.”

Common Cause President Bob Edgar, a United Methodist minister and former head of the National Council of Churches, organized the faith leaders to sign the letter. “Religious leaders were shocked to see the Supreme Court make a ruling that goes so far to further diminish the voices of society’s most needy,” he said. “But there is something Congress must do: pass the ‘Fair Elections Now Act’ to create a campaign finance system that makes elected officials beholden to all people, not just wealthy special interests.”

There is something Congress must do.

Signers include the Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA; Archbishop Vicken Aykazian of the Armenian Apostolic Church; Dr. Sayyid Syeed, national director of the Office for Interfaith & Community Alliances of the Islamic Society of America; Rabbi Michael Lerner, editor of Tikkun, rabbi of Beyt Tikkun Synagogue of San Francisco and chair of the Network of Spiritual Progressives; the Rev. Dr. James Forbes, former senior pastor, Riverside Church, New York City; and Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., president and CEO of the Hip Hop Caucus.

United Methodists who signed the letter include the Rev. J. Philip Wogaman, emeritus professor of Christian Ethics, Wesley Theological Seminary; the Rev. Dr. Thomas Gallen, executive director, PAS Inc., Plymouth, Mass.; the Rev. Stan Bain, community organizer, Faith Action for Community Equity (FACE), an affiliate of Gamaliel Foundation, Kailua, Hawaii; the Rev. Ken Bensen, Habitat for Humanity of Michigan; and the Rev Stephen Copley, chair, Let Justice Roll Coalition, Little Rock, Ark.

Other United Methodist endorsers include the Rev. Richard Deats, executive director (retired), Fellowship of Reconciliation; the Rev. John Fanestil, San Diego, Calif.; Joann Yoon Fukumoto, Peace with Justice Educator, California Pacific Conference, Honolulu; Bishop Alfred Johnson, lead pastor, Church of the Village: A Progressive United Methodist Community, New York City; the Rev. Dr. Theodore Loder, Philadelphia; the Rev. Dr. Stephen Charles Mott, Beverly, Mass.; the Rev. Dr. John Piper Jr., Williamsport, Pa.; and the Rev. Maxim Rice, Deacon, Albuquerque, N.M.

United Methodists signers also are the Rev. Barbara Grace Ripple, Honolulu; the Rev. Jim Standiford, pastor, First United Methodist Church of San Diego; the Rev. James Swenson, Prescott, Ar.; the Rev. Dr. F. Gates Vrooman, Hillsborough, N.C.; the Rev. Dr. C. Garland Young, chair of Lake Junaluska (N.C.) Peace Conferences; and the Rev. David Tatgenhorst, pastor, St. Luke United Methodist Church, Bryn Mawr, Pa.

 Public Campaignis a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to sweeping campaign reform that aims to dramatically reduce the role of big special interest money in U.S. politics.

Both organizations are working to pass the “Fair Elections Now Act” (H.R.1826 / S.752) as the comprehensive solution to breaking the special interests’ grip on the U.S. government. The proposal would create a citizen-funded election system for Congress in which candidates could run for office on a blend of small donations and public funds.

To read the letter and see the complete of endorsers, go to Fair Elections Now Act.