Latest news with #CitizensUnitedSupremeCourt
Axios
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
"Democracy Day" returns to Cleveland City Hall
A community-led "Democracy Day" hearing arrives at Cleveland City Hall Monday as part of the national movement to get corporate money out of politics. The big picture: Cleveland is among more than 20 Ohio municipalities that have passed resolutions since 2012 pushing Congress to amend the U.S. Constitution to declare that money is not speech. Cities adopted these resolutions at the urging of advocacy groups like Move to Amend in response to the Citizens United Supreme Court decision in 2010. Cleveland's 2016 ordinance established a biennial public hearing at City Hall to allow the community to explore these topics. What they're saying: "We are witnessing in real time the increasing political and economic power of the super wealthy and corporations in our country to influence not only our elections, but public policies on health care, education, food, jobs, transportation, energy, and the natural world," said Cleveland Heights resident Greg Coleridge, national co-director of Move to Amend, in a statement. Between the lines: The meeting comes a month after HBO released "Ohio Confidential," a documentary that unraveled the HB6 bribery scandal. 💭 Sam's thought bubble: HB6 is, of course, a striking example of how a single corporation can warp public policy with big bucks.
Axios
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Axios
HBO doc digs into Ohio's biggest bribery scandal
HB6 is coming to HBO Tuesday night. The big picture:"Ohio Confidential" is part of a two-film documentary series about dark money in politics, releasing 15 years after the Citizens United Supreme Court case. State of play: The series is directed by Alex Gibney and inspired by Jane Mayer's book "Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right." "Ohio Confidential" features the suicide of lobbyist Neil Clark to unravel the story of FirstEnergy's $60 million bribery scheme, which secured power for Speaker of the House Larry Householder and 2019 passage of the controversial energy bailout. Householder was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison in 2023 and is currently incarcerated at FCI Elkton in Lisbon, Ohio. Zoom in: Featured in the film are Mayer herself, former Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor, Columbus Dispatch reporter Laura A. Bischoff, and a number of federal lawyers and investigators. 💭 Sam's thought bubble: I know the ins and outs of the case by now, but I'm still eager to watch this and thrilled the material is getting professional treatment and distribution on a major platform. "Wealth of the Wicked," the second film in the series, traces the history of campaign finance in the U.S. from the creation of the Federal Election Commission in 1974.
CBS News
06-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Bernie Sanders says U.S. under Trump is facing "unprecedented level of danger"
Ever since President Trump took office, surrounded by some of the richest men in the world, Senator Bernie Sanders has been sounding the alarm: "This country today faces an unprecedented level of danger, something that I've never seen in my lifetime," he said. "We are a nation that is moving rapidly toward oligarchy, which means that we have a government run by the billionaire class, for the billionaire class." "You've had this consistent message for a long time; is there more urgency now in this moment?" I asked. "I think there is," Sanders replied. "And in many ways, I suppose, you can thank Elon Musk and Trump for that." The 83-year-old's rallying cry is breaking through, as thousands pack his events. These gatherings, along with other protests, are the latest flashpoints for an emerging Trump opposition. What does Sanders see from on stage at his rallies? "I think I'm seeing fear, and I'm seeing anger," he said. "Sixty percent of our people are living paycheck-to-paycheck. Media doesn't talk about it. We don't talk about it enough here in Congress." What makes the no-nonsense lawmaker from Vermont different from Democrats is that he is not one of them. Sanders ran high-profile races for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016 and 2020, but he is a registered independent. Right now, he sees not merely a political battle, but a moral and constitutional crisis. I asked, "Some Republicans chuckle when they see President Trump talk about pursuing a third term . Are you laughing when you hear it?" "No, I don't," Sanders said. "The idea of a third term? Why not? They don't believe in the rule of law. They don't believe in the Constitution. So, yeah, I would take that seriously." Something else Sanders takes seriously: the sprawling influence of Elon Musk, who has overhauled the federal workforce. Sanders said, "One of the other concerns when I talk about oligarchy, Bob, it's not just massive income and wealth inequality. It's not just the power of the billionaire class. These guys, led by Musk – and as a result of this disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision – have now allowed billionaires essentially to own our political process. So, I think when we talk about America is a democracy, I think we should rephrase it, call it a 'pseudo-democracy.' And it's not just Musk and the Republicans; it's billionaires in the Democratic Party as well." "That's a serious thing to say as a U.S. senator, pseudo-democracy, not a full democracy?" I asked. "Look, you get one vote, and Elon Musk can spend $270 million to help elect Trump. Does that sound like a democracy to you?" Sanders also objects to an executive order pressuring major law firms whose clients are seen as hostile to Mr. Trump. Some firms have reached financial agreements with the administration . I asked, "What do you make of the law firms cutting deals?" Sanders' reply: "Absolute cowardice." "Some of them seem pretty eager to cut a deal?" "They do. Because for them, you know, they're zillion-dollar law firms, and money, money, money. So, they're gonna sell out their souls to Donald Trump in order to continue to be able to make money here in Washington." "What's the cost to the country when that sort of thing happens?" Sanders said, "It is indescribable ." The senator's mission, at a time when most his age are retired, can be traced back to his Brooklyn roots. "My politics are influenced by two aspects of my life," he said. "Number one, I grew up in a working-class family. We were never poor; my father worked all the time, just never had any money. It was paycheck-to-paycheck. "And the other one is, you know, being Jewish, remembering what the Holocaust was about and seeing people in my neighborhood having tattoos, numbers on their arm from concentration camps. So, the kind of racism and the hatred, for whatever reason, that people had against Jews, or Blacks, or Latinos, whatever, that's also stayed with me." Sanders' prominence was a long time coming. He labored on the fringes of state politics, then on the fringes of Congress. The sparsely-covered news conference for his first presidential bid, launched ten years ago this month, was a portrait of a long shot. I asked, "Did you think ten years later you'd still be out here doing these rallies, with this message, grinding away?" "I didn't know I would be doing this a year ago, no!" he replied. "But you know, you have to do what you have to do." "Not every Democrat agrees with your approach. James Carville, for example, says Democrats should roll over and play dead, have a strategic political retreat." "And that is why the rich have gotten richer in the last 30 or 40 years, while 60% of our people living paycheck-to-paycheck," Sanders said. "Our health care system has fallen apart. Our childcare system is dysfunctional. That's what playing dead is about, and I'm afraid the Democrats have played dead for a long time." "You're speaking to working people, but if you could look the Democratic leadership in the House and Senate in the eye and tell them –" "I do look at them! I meet with them every day!" he said. "I know you don't shy away. But what can you tell them now about what to hear from your rallies, your events?" "That's not quite the question," Sanders said. "What is the question, then? What do [Democrats] need to know?" "Why are they held in so low esteem?" Sanders replied. "Why has the working class in this country largely turned away from them? And what do you have to do to recapture that working class? Do you think working people are voting for Trump because he wants to give massive tax breaks to billionaires and cut Social Security and Medicare? I don't think so. It's because people say, 'I am hurting. Democratic Party has talked a good game for years. They haven't done anything.' So, I think that the Democratic Party has to make a fundamental decision, and I'm not sure that they will make the right decision, which side are they on? [Will] they continue to hustle large campaign contributions from very, very wealthy people, or do they stand with the working class?" For Bernie Sanders, the activism, the agitation, the relentless crusade has long been about trying to reach the White House. It is also who he is. "You're 83 years old; a lot of people going to these rallies, they tell us they want you to think about 2028," I said. "Little bit old to be worrying about those things!" Sanders laughed. "But I'm happy being a U.S. senator from Vermont." "And in the arena?" "And in the arena." "You like being in the fight?" "There are many other things that I would prefer to be doing," Sanders said. "That's the one thing I'd fact-check you on a little bit." "Oh, I enjoy the rallies." "And you enjoy the political fight?" "If your question is, do I get inspired by talking and meeting with people all over the country? Deeply. This is what keeps me going," Sanders said. "In other words, life exists outside of Capitol Hill." For more info: Story produced by Gabriel Falcon and Ed Forgotson. Editor: Chad Cardin.
Fox News
03-04-2025
- Business
- Fox News
SEN BERNIE SANDERS: We have a government of billionaires, by billionaires and for billionaires
All of us owe Donald Trump and Elon Musk a deep debt of gratitude. For a very long time the big money interests, under Democratic and Republican administrations, have dominated our government and our politics. They did it through their campaign contributions, the work of their corporate lobbyists and the extravagant dinners where the rich and the powerful plotted their strategies. Much of their work was done quietly and out of public scrutiny. They had the power. They just didn't advertise it. Not anymore. Donald Trump invited the three wealthiest people in the country, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg to sit right behind him at his inauguration. And behind them were 13 other billionaires who Trump had nominated to run major government agencies. In other words, the power of big money was no longer something to be kept secret. Trump was showing the entire world that the billionaire class was running our government. It was there for all to see. But it's not just Trump whom we should applaud for his openness. It's Elon Musk. Ever since the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision of 2010, billionaires and their super-PACs in both political parties have been controlling our political process and buying and selling politicians. But no one has been as transparent about that as Musk. He donated over $270 million to Trump's campaign, and was rewarded by becoming the most powerful person in the government. Nothing complicated about that. You pay for what you get. Further, he has made it clear that any member of Congress who votes against the Trump-Musk agenda will be opposed by him and his unlimited financial resources. Nothing subtle about that either. Money talks. You do as I say or my money ends your political career. So, what does it all mean? What are the implications of having a government run by the billionaire class? There are those who believe that Mr. Musk and the other billionaires in Trump's Cabinet, smart, hard-working and successful business people, are sacrificing their time and energy to make the government more efficient and effective – and that we should be very grateful for their efforts. I don't agree. Let's take a hard look at what's now happening all around us and see if "efficiency" is the major goal of these billionaires. A good place to begin is with Social Security, the most popular and successful government program in American history. For nearly 90 years, in good times and bad, Social Security has done exactly what it was designed to do – pay out every benefit owed to every eligible American on time and without delay. Last year, it kept over 27 million Americans out of poverty. And yet today the Trump administration and Elon Musk have been launching an all-out and unprecedented attack on Social Security. They are eliminating the ability of seniors and the disabled to apply for benefits over the phone, shutting down Social Security field offices throughout the country and planning to lay off up to half of Social Security's staff. These disastrous cuts are not making Social Security more efficient or reducing fraud. They are doing the exact opposite. Since Trump has been in office, Social Security's website crashed four times in a recent 10-day period. Lines at Social Security field offices that remain open are getting longer and it's increasingly difficult for seniors and the disabled to talk to a live human being on Social Security's 1-800 number. During his State of the Union, President Trump falsely suggested that "millions and millions" of Social Security checks are going out to people between the ages of 140 and 360. Not true. It is widely acknowledged, even by Trump's own nominee to lead the Social Security Administration, that well over 99% of Social Security checks are going out to people who earned those one who is 150 or 200 or 300 years old is receiving Social Security benefits. Several weeks ago, Mr. Musk falsely claimed that Social Security is "the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time." Really? This is a system that has been in effect since 1935 and has never once failed to provide benefits to those who have earned them. Some Ponzi scheme! And it's not just Social Security that the Trump administration is attacking. They are also cutting back on the needs of our nation's veterans, the men and women who put their lives on the line defending our country. At a time when the VA is facing a shortage of many thousands of doctors, nurses and other medical workers, President Trump is making a bad situation even worse by proposing to fire 83,000 employees at the VA. This will undoubtedly mean that the quality of healthcare provided there will decline and veterans will have to wait longer for the benefits they earned. That's not just Bernie Sanders talking. That's what the VFW and other veterans organizations are saying. Can we make VA healthcare more efficient? Absolutely. But arbitrarily firing 83,000 employees is not the way to do it. What else is our billionaire-led government in the process of doing? As we speak, President Trump, Mr. Musk and Republicans in Congress are laying the groundwork to pass legislation that would provide huge tax breaks for the wealthiest people in the country paid for by massive cuts to healthcare, education, nutrition, housing and other programs that working families and the most vulnerable rely on. It has been estimated that the legislation the Republicans are writing would provide a $1.1 trillion tax break to the top 1%. Another study found that if all of Trump's so-called "America First" policies are enacted, including his tariffs, the bottom 95% of Americans will see their taxes go up, while the top 5% will see their taxes go down. Way down. And what is the largest cut they are considering? It would be an up to $880 billion cut to Medicaid – a program that provides healthcare to tens of millions of children, two out of every three seniors in nursing homes, and 43% of the revenue for community health centers that deliver primary care to over 32 million Americans. A cut of this size would devastate our already broken healthcare system and increase healthcare costs for millions of Americans. It is no secret that our country is deeply divided politically. In my view, however, there are very few people, whether they are conservative, progressive or moderate, who think that we should give tax breaks to billionaires and cut back on Medicaid, education and food for hungry children. There are very few people who think we should take a chainsaw to Social Security and the VA – and threaten the well-being of our seniors and veterans. The American people want a government and an economy that works for all, not just the wealthy few. It's about time Congress and the president listened to them.
