Newly sworn-in Rep. Dean Phillips today announced his cosponsorship of a sweeping ethics, voter protection and campaign finance reform bill known as The For the People Act of 2019. The reform package will be H.R.1 in the 116th Congress. Rep. Phillips joined Speaker Pelosi and Rep. John Sarbanes, the chief author and Chair of the Democracy Reform Task Force, in introducing the legislation today.

“The partisanship and gridlock that plagues our government is a symptom of a larger disease,” said Phillips. “That disease is the corrupting influence of special interest money in our politics. In November, communities across our nation came together to demand a disruption of politics as usual. The For the People Act will begin the important work of elevating common interests over special interests, and I am proud that it is the first bill I have the honor of cosponsoring in service to the people of Minnesota’s Third District.”

The For the People Act of 2019 will expand voter protection through automatic voter registration and increased access to early voting and vote-by-mail, and confront corruption in Washington by strengthening ethics laws. The legislation also seeks to reform big money politics by expanding campaign disclosure requirements, updating political advertising laws for the digital age, establishing a public-matching system of individual campaign contributions and expanding the campaign finance oversight powers of the Federal Elections Commission.

“From the beginning, I have been on a mission to restore a people-powered system of campaigns and government,” concluded Phillips. “Elected officials should be beholden to their values and the values of those they represent, not the special interests that finance their campaigns. Only then can we begin to address the issues that are most important to the communities we represent -- from reducing the cost of healthcare and prescription drugs to combating climate change to ending gun violence.”

Phillips is the only Member of Congress who refuses all contributions from PACs, federal lobbyists and members of Congress and their committees.

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