What's New

At the congressional level, a bill for full public financing for Congress has been introduced in the House by Rep. John Tierney (Mass.) and a separate Senate bill is expected soon. At the presidential level, the existing public financing program is woefully outdated and, unless fixed, will likely be bypassed by the major party candidates in 2008. The PIRGs have joined with a diverse coalition of organizations to urge all congressional candidates to sign onto the Voters First Pledge. The Voters First Pledge asks candidates to support fundamental change to the way we fund campaigns, including a system that gives public funding to candidates who agree to spending limits and don’t accept private contributions.