Sen. Tom Udall Calls Supreme Court Ruling on Corporate Campaign Spending a Victory for Special Interests

Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) released the following statement regarding yesterday’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn long-established federal campaign finance law that limited electoral contributions by corporations.

“Thursday’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court is a victory for special interests at the expense of the average American. We’ve seen firsthand the impact special interests like big oil and big banks and health insurance companies have had on the legislative process. Now, with today’s decision by the Supreme Court, these already powerful special interests can further open their bank accounts to drown out the voices of everyday Americans in the political process.

“Money can have a corrosive effect on the political process. We’ve seen evidence of that in campaigns at all levels of government. We have long needed substantive campaign finance reform, and it’s my hope that today’s disappointing decision by the high court will provide the impetus we need to put elections back in the hands of average Americans -- and not the special interests who can use their unlimited bank accounts to railroad the process to their preferred conclusion.

“I look forward to joining with my colleagues in the Senate in the very near future to introduce and pass legislation that restores integrity to our political process by reforming our campaign finance laws and limiting the role of special interests in our elections.”

Click to listen to the latest edition of Tuesdays With Tom, Udall's weekly discussion with New Mexico radio reporters. Among other issues, Sen. Udall talks about the Supreme Court decision on corporate campaigning and what we need to do at the state and federal level to enact comprehensive campaign finance reform.