Press Releases

Sarbanes Statement on Facebook’s New Rules for Political and Issue Ads

May 24, 2018

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democracy Reform Task Force Chair Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) released the following statement today after Facebook announced new rules for election-related ads and issue ads that run on its platform.

Sarbanes, House Democrats Force Vote on the Government By the People Act

May 22, 2018

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democracy Reform Task Force Chair Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) today led House Democrats in forcing a vote on the Government By the People Act (H.R. 20), a bold reform to counter the influence of big money in politics and return power to the people.

House and Senate Democratic Leaders Unveil A Better Deal for Our Democracy

May 21, 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House and Senate Democrats held a press conference on the steps of the United States Capitol to unveil the newest plank of their bold economic agenda, A Better Deal for Our Democracy, to fix Washington’s broken political system and return to a government of, by and for the American people. This new plank of Democrat’s A Better Deal agenda focuses on taking back the power from special interests and getting rid of the pay-to-play culture of corruption, cronyism and incompetence embodied by the Trump Administration, which has led to political dysfunction and a raw deal for the American people.

Sarbanes Blasts EPA Administrator Pruitt as “Poster Child” for Abuse of Public Office [Video]

Apr 26, 2018

WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a House Subcommittee on Environment hearing today, Democracy Reform Task Force Chair Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) chastised U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt for abusing taxpayer dollars, using his office for private gain and jeopardizing public health to boost polluters’ profits.

Top Democrats Press Mark Zuckerberg for More Information about Facebook’s Role in American Democracy

Lawmakers Call for Regulatory Action; Ask Facebook to Pull Back the Curtain on Its Advertising Programs, Campaign Embed Operations and Content-Control Protocols
Apr 25, 2018

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democracy Reform Task Force Chair Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) today joined House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Elijah E.

Sarbanes Joins Bipartisan Georgetown Law Forum on Congressional Oversight of the Justice Department and FBI in the Trump Era

Apr 19, 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democracy Reform Task Force Chair Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) today spoke at a bipartisan Georgetown Law forum entitled, “Congressional Oversight of the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation in the Trump Era.” The forum examined President Donald Trump’s attacks on the Department of Justice and the FBI – a break from the practices of his predecessors – as well as the role of Congressional oversight in ensuring an independent Justice Department and FBI.

Sarbanes Grills Zuckerberg About Facebook’s Controversial “Campaign Embed” Program and the Company’s Potential Campaign Finance Violations [Video]

Apr 11, 2018

WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing today, Democracy Reform Task Force Chair Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) questioned Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg about potential campaign finance violations and conflicts of interest posed by Facebook’s “campaign embeds” program for political candidates.

Sarbanes Statement on New FEC Rulemaking to Improve Internet Ad Disclosure

Mar 14, 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democracy Reform Task Force Chair Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) released the following statement today after the Federal Election Commission (FEC) unanimously approved new rules to strengthen disclosure rules for online political ads.

Task Force Leads Effort to Stop Controversial Spending Bill Provisions That Would Increase Secret Money in Politics

More Than 100 Members Urge Congressional Leaders to Remove Harmful Policy Riders That Would Give Wealthy Special Interests Even More Power in Washington
Mar 14, 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democracy Reform Task Force Chair Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) today led more than 100 Members of Congress in opposing several controversial campaign finance provisions that might be slipped into this year’s spending bill. The provisions would allow wealthy and well-connected donors to pump billions of dollars in additional campaign money into our elections and would increase the amount of secret money in politics.

New “Sunshine Week” Video Highlights the Trump Administration’s Unprecedented Cloud of Secrecy

Mar 13, 2018

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Rep. John Sarbanes, Chair of the Democracy Reform Task Force, released a new “Sunshine Week” video detailing the cloud of secrecy surrounding the Trump Administration.

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