Government By the People

Walter Jones on Gyrocopters and Government By the People Act

by James King

On April 21, Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) spoke on the House floor about the mailman who landed a gyrocopter on the Capitol lawn to protest the current state of money-in-politics. Jones agrees the influence of super PACs and big money is a problem and said he’s “seen it get worse and worse during my twenty years in Congress.”

Jones specifically mentioned the Citizens United decision which allowed super PACs to flourish and pointed out that during the 2014 midterm elections, 1,360 super PACs spent nearly $700 million. More importantly, Jones said, was the bills “that come to the floor of the House that seem influenced by money.”

But Jones didn’t just complain about the current system, he pointed out a promising solution: The Government By the People Act (H.R. 20) sponsored by Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.). The bill would establish a small donor matching fund where contributions under $175 are matched 6-to-1, amplifying the voice of everyday Americans. In addition, the bill would set up limits on big money and special interests for candidates who opt-in to the system.

“We cannot change Citizens United unless we go back through the legal process, but we can have an alternative,” said Jones. “I hope Republicans and Democrats will look seriously at becoming co-sponsors.”

The Government By the People Act currently has 146 co-sponsors in the House. The Senate version, The Fair Elections Now Act is expected to be reintroduced by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) in the coming weeks.