Today, Common Cause called on Congress to prioritize funding for key elements of our democracy in the next COVID-19 emergency supplemental appropriations bill (“CARES 2.0”). The letter urges every Member of Congress to designate sufficient funding in the stimulus package to secure essential pillars of our democracy threatened by the pandemic and to ensure proper safeguards are put into place to oversee government disbursement of trillions of dollars in stimulus funds. The elements highlighted in the letter include critical efforts to...

Yesterday, the Federal Communications Commission announced a $48 million civil penalty against Sinclair Broadcasting Group, the second largest media conglomerate in the nation. The fine is part of a consent decree closing three investigations including one where the FCC questioned whether Sinclair engaged in misrepresentation and a lack of candor in its attempt to acquire Tribune Media Company.

I am very sorry to announce that Ann McBride, who served in many capacities at Common Cause, including President, passed away on May 5.

She was 75 and had been in declining health.

Ann is an important part of Common Cause’s history and was a cherished mentor and role-model to me.

Ann’s message was clear. Our victories were, she would often say, a message of hope for citizens – a reminder that working together, we all could make a difference in our government and our world.

Hoy, Common Cause presentó quejas ante el Departamento de Justicia (DOJ), el Comité de Administración de la Cámara de Representantes de los EE. UU. y la Oficina de Ética del Congreso contra el representante Matt Gaetz (R-FL) y su propietario y donante Collier Merrill por no haber revelar su relación de larga data mientras busca la aprobación requerida del Congreso para el arrendamiento de una oficina. Las denuncias instan a una investigación sobre si ambos hombres violaron la prohibición del derecho penal de ocultar hechos materiales en presentaciones o declaraciones a la autoridad federal...

Today, Common Cause called on Congress to provide funding to safeguard key elements of our democracy in the next COVID-19 emergency supplemental funding bill. The letter urges every Member of Congress to provide significant funding in the stimulus package to backstop vital elements of our democracy and to ensure proper safeguards are put into place to oversee government disbursement of trillions of dollars in stimulus funds. In the face of the pandemic, Common Cause calls for funding to safeguard our elections, the Census, the U.S. Postal...

Today, Common Cause called on Congress to hold emergency hearings to examine why Wisconsin voters were forced to risk their lives by standing in lines at polling places on April 7th during the COVID-19 pandemic when public gatherings were prohibited in the state. The letter to the Senate Rules and Administration Committee and the Committee on House Administration also urged the committees to explore how other states are adjusting their elections to ensure that all voters can be counted during the current pandemic in both the primaries and the...

Today, Common Cause filed complaints with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC,) and the Senate Ethics Committee calling for immediate investigations of Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), and James Inhofe (R-OK) for possible violations of the STOCK Act and insider trading laws. According to widespread reports, each of the Senators sold off significant amounts of stock from the personal portfolios after receiving classified briefings from government...

The major disruptions to yesterday's elections caused by COVID-19 hammered home the need to retrench and take steps now to safeguard our democracy. To protect the safety of all voters and the integrity of our elections, Common Cause is now calling for a delay of any in-person voting for at least the next few weeks. The COVID-19 crisis is reshaping many of our day-to-day lives in ways we weren’t expecting, including disrupting elections, but now is the time to act to ensure our primaries and general election are held this year and conducted...

As millions of voters head to the polls today, Common Cause is working in the Election Protection coalition to help voters across the country who are having issues voting and working with election administrators to solve problems. For 50 years, Common Cause has a nonpartisan resource to voters, helping solve problems and making our elections more accessible and secure for all voters. Common Cause’s work in the 2020 Election Protection effort is focused on running field programs in targeted states where we organize and train nonpartisan...

We commend the Virginia Senate for passing SJ18 and strong enabling legislation to establish a redistricting commission that will end gerrymandering of congressional and state legislative districts.