Strengthening Our Democracy

End Citizens’ United:

In 2010, the Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission allowed unions, nonprofits, individuals, and, most consequently corporations to put unlimited money into elections. This effectively legalized corruption. Corporations and the very rich can effectively buy politicians that favor them, meaning politicians no longer need funding from their constituents but instead money from the very people that they are supposed to be keeping accountable.

It also means that if a politician dares to go against the interests of certain powerful groups, they could face those group(s) using millions of dollars against them to get them out of office. This creates the dangerous incentive structure that we live in now, where it is safer for politicians to stay quiet than speak out if it goes against the interests of their donors. 

Supreme Court Reform

The U.S Supreme Court has one of the weakest ethics codes in the country. There is no robust mechanism for accountability and judges are expected to police themselves. It has been captured by billionaires and MAGA extremists. 

Over the last decade, the Justices have received gifts of close to $3 million. Over the past two decades, Justice Clarence Thomas has been gifted luxury vacations, tuition payments, and expensive gifts from Republican billionaire, Harlan Crow. In 2008, Justice Samuel Alito accepted a luxury private jet and fishing trip to Alaska paid for by Leonard Leo and by billionaire Paul Singer. Following the trip, Justice Alito presided over a case involving Paul Singer, a direct violation of the Justices’ requirement to recuse themselves from cases with a conflict of interest. The court ruled in Singer’s favor. The Justices did not include their gifts on their financial disclosures and they only became public after an investigation by ProPublica. 

The lack of accountability for billionaires bribing the highest court in our nation is why I support impeaching Justices Thomas and Alito. I support H.Res 1244 and H.Res 1353 for failing to disclose financial interest as required by federal law and being in the pocket of mega-rich donors instead of serving the American people. 

Judicial reform also means expanding the Supreme Court to restore balance. The court has consistently voted against democratic measures, environmental protections, abortion rights, and worker’s rights. Expanding the court will help prevent the kind of court decisions that have taken away Americans’ constitutional rights, freedom of speech and right to bodily autonomy.  In Congress, I will fight for reforms to hold the Supreme Court accountable and responsive to the needs of the American people, not to the highest bidder.

Rank Choice Voting:

I wholeheartedly endorse Ranked Choice Voting (RCV). This system represents a significant step forward in ensuring that our elections are both fair and representative, eliminating many of the inherent limitations in the traditional plurality voting system. By allowing voters to rank candidates in order of preference, RCV ensures that if no candidate secures a majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and those votes are reallocated according to the next preference on each ballot. This process continues until a candidate achieves a majority, ensuring that the winning candidate reflects a broader consensus.

This method not only discourages negative campaigning, as candidates strive to appeal to a wider audience to gain secondary or tertiary votes, but also promotes a more inclusive and participatory political dialogue. Furthermore, RCV reduces the risk of vote splitting and the spoiler effect, where similar candidates divide the vote, often resulting in an outcome not reflective of the true majority preference. It encourages the participation of more diverse candidates and supports a multi-party system rather than reinforcing the often polarizing two-party system.

I am convinced that adopting Ranked Choice Voting is crucial for enhancing voter engagement and trust in the electoral process. It empowers voters, giving them a greater voice and ensuring that their preferences are more accurately represented. This is why I not only support but also advocate for the widespread implementation of RCV across all levels of government. By championing this reform, we can take a significant step towards a more democratic and equitable system of governance, where every vote and voice is heard.

Uncapping The House

By law, the House of Representatives is capped at 435 members. This cap was not created by our founders, nor is it in our constitution. It was created more than 200 years after the birth of our nation by Congress in 1929. In 1929, this cap meant that one member of the House represented about 220,000 people, but today it is over 750,000, and this number is only likely to go up as the population increases. 

This means that it is very hard for the voices of constituents to be heard and for the problems of the community to be known by members of Congress. It also means that candidates who take Corporate PAC money, Special Interest money, and Super PACs have an advantage against opponents like myself who refuse to take that money and are people-funded. Our campaign knocks on doors and makes phone calls to voters all over the district but a corrupt candidate can afford to send mailers to every voter or even fill the airways with ads to reach voters. This leaves candidates with less money at a disadvantage.

The solution is a simple one. We must Uncap the House. I will cosponsor any bill that increases the number of representatives in the House and believe that an ideal number of constituents per House member should be around 200,000, which would nearly triple the current number of House members. This would allow members of Congress to better hear the voices of their constituents and would diversify the voices in Congress.