Demos Statement Applauding “By The People Project”

Washington, DC – Today, Adam Lioz, Demos Counsel and Senior Advisor of Policy & Outreach, released the following statement in support of “By The People Project.”

“We live in a dangerous time for our democracy.  On a daily basis, our president flouts basic ethics norms, threatens the rule of law, turns government functions over to corporate lobbyists, and assaults the truth and transparency essential to accountable government.  These newfound threats come on top of a longstanding challenge to the government of, by, and for the people our founders envisioned and Lincoln championed: due to inaction in Congress and four decades of misguided Supreme Court rulings, the size of Americans’ wallets determines the strength of our voices in our democracy.

“Demos applauds the House Democrats’ Democracy Reform Task Force for launching the ‘By the People Project,’ which seeks to address these challenges head on.  The Task Force’s critical work will help restore Americans’ faith in our democracy by compiling existing reform proposals and crafting new legislation that will fight the power of big money, address flagrant conflicts of interest, remove unnecessary barriers to the ballot, and help voters choose their elected representatives rather than the other way around.

“Demos is confident that Task Force Chair Congressman John Sarbanes—author of the leading legislation in the House to address the power of big money in politics—will lead the project towards comprehensive and effective solutions.  Demos applauds Leader Nancy Pelosi for convening the Task Force, launching the ‘By the People Project,’ and prioritizing strengthening our democracy.”