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Congressman Panetta Votes to Expand Voting Rights and End Big, Dark Special-Interest Money in Politics

March 4, 2021

This week, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) voted for the House passage of H.R. 1, the For The People Act. The legislative package of pro-democracy and anti-corruption reforms will help end the era of big and dark special-interest money in politics, improve voting access, promote election integrity and security, strengthen campaign finance transparency and oversight, fortify ethics laws, and impose greater ethics enforcement for public servants.

"Throughout the 2020 election, American voters faced a torrent of big, dark, special-interest money advertisements and attempts to suppress access to voting," said Congressman Panetta. "I'm proud to cosponsor and vote for the For The People Act, which would strengthen our democracy by protecting voter rights and access to the ballot box, ensure greater transparency and accountability of big, dark, special-interest money in the political arena, enhance ethics rules, and end gerrymandering by preventing discrimination in congressional redistricting that dilutes minority voting power. Such legislation, ultimately, would help ensure that every vote is counted and that every American's voice is heard."

Key provisions of H.R. 1, the For the People Act, include:

  • Increasing campaign finance transparency, helping end the dominance of big money and special interest money in American politics.
  • Expanding automatic voter registration and same day registration.
  • Improving and expanding vote by mail, early voting, and ballot access.
  • Preventing the purging of voter rolls based on eliminating the voter registrations of those who have not voted in recent elections.
  • Protecting elections from foreign interference.
  • Ending partisan gerrymandering through the establishment of independent redistricting commissions at the state level.
  • Promoting digital political ad transparency.
  • Enforcing ethics and conflict of interest rules for all government officials.
  • Empowering small donors with matching funds paid for by lawbreakers, not taxpayers.