Every Senate Democrat Backs Sweeping Campaign Finance, Voting Rights and Ethics Reform Bill

Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) on Wednesday introduced the Senate version of the campaign finance, voting rights and ethics reform bill that House Democrats made their top priority. With all 47 Senate Democrats signed on as co-sponsors, Udall’s bill marks a newfound unanimity in the party in favor of establishing publicly financed congressional elections and dramatically expanding voting rights…. The bill is a near identical copy of the For The People Act (H.R. 1) passed by the House by a partisan vote split of 234-193 on March 8. It includes sweeping voting rights reforms that would re-enfranchise ex-felons, ban common voter suppression tactics and reduce barriers to voting across the country; campaign finance reforms that would create a system of publicly funded elections for congressional campaigns for the first time; and ethics reforms for the executive branch and Supreme Court. Despite, or because of, universal backing from Democrats, Udall’s bill is unlikely to move through the Senate.