July 31, 2017 •
We the People Act of 2017 introduced in US Congress
On July 28, Rep. David E. Price introduced a 252-page bill which would reform campaign finance laws, amend the current federal lobbying laws, and address integrity and transparency problems in the Executive Branch.
House Resolution 3537, We the People Act of 2017, is a comprehensive attempt to address issues such as federal lobbying, campaign finance, redistricting imbalances, and voter eligibility in order to focus on “major structural problems facing our democracy,” according to Price’s press release.
The law would change lobbying registration requirements and no longer exempt an individual who spends less than 20 percent of his or her time serving as a lobbyist for a particular client if he or she meets the other thresholds for registration. In addition, the legislation would require U.S. presidents to divest assets with potential conflicts of interest, require states to allow eligible individuals to register to vote on the same day of a federal election, and replace the Federal Election Commission with a new enforcement agency.
In the bill, other pending legislation currently in Congress dealing with ethics and transparency are referenced and incorporated. The bill also provides suggested solutions to be used in state and local legislative reform efforts.
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