Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) suggested amending the constitution Tuesday as a possible response to the Supreme Court’s recent decision to permit corporations to fund election ads.
“Some of the sharpest minds in the country are working together right now to construct language for an amendment that would solve the problem,” Kerry said, speaking as a witness before the Senate Rules and Administration Committee. “I’m ready to work with them and with activists to get an amendment ratified.”
Kerry sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which would have jurisdiction in any steps taken to amend the constitution.
The 5-4 ruling, which was made in Citizens United V. Federal Election Commission, denies that the Federal Election Commission can restrict corporate spending on the grounds that it violates corporations’ rights to free speech.
Democrats have proposed a number of other possible ways to limit the ruling’s impact, including requiring shareholder consent before producing ads and asking corporations to identify themselves at the end of advertisements.
Kerry Would Support A Constitutional Amendment To Counter Campaign Finance Ruling
“Some of the sharpest minds in the country are working together right now to construct language for an amendment that would solve the problem,” Kerry said, speaking as a witness before the Senate Rules and Administration Committee. “I’m ready to work with them and with activists to get an amendment ratified.”
Kerry sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which would have jurisdiction in any steps taken to amend the constitution.
The 5-4 ruling, which was made in Citizens United V. Federal Election Commission, denies that the Federal Election Commission can restrict corporate spending on the grounds that it violates corporations’ rights to free speech.
Democrats have proposed a number of other possible ways to limit the ruling’s impact, including requiring shareholder consent before producing ads and asking corporations to identify themselves at the end of advertisements.