By co-sponsoring legislation that the ACLU asserts would “severely limit the First Amendment” and “lead directly to government censorship of political speech”, Colorado’s Democratic U.S. Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet are looking to take a giant swing at the First Amendment by ensconcing broad Congressional control over campaign spending in the U.S. Constitution.
In a move designed to overturn the landmark Citizens United decision, a case that clawed back unconstitutional provisions of the flawed McCain-Feingold Act regarding political speech, the proposed 28th Amendment to the Constitution would give Congress the unchecked ability to set rules regarding every aspect of federal campaign fundraising and expenditures. And according to Byron York, our own Michael Bennet worked closely with New Mexico Senator Tom Udall to actually write this disastrous legislation, with almost limitless second and third order effects on political speech:
To advance the fundamental principle of political equality for all, and to protect the integrity of the legislative and electoral processes, Congress shall have power to regulate the raising and spending of money and in-kind equivalents with respect to federal elections, including through setting limits on —
(1) the amount of contributions to candidates for nomination for election to, or for election to, federal office; and
(2) the amount of funds that may be spent by, in support of, or in opposition to such candidates.
Sadly, while a constant stream of headline-grabbing disasters flows forth from the Obama Administration, this little gem is slowly working its way through the political process, with little attention, thanks to Sens. Udall and Bennet. Fortunately, free speech has a friend in Sen. Ted Cruz, who offered an amazing defense of the First Amendment in this speech.
Now that Udallx2 and Bennet have benefited greatly from the free speech and political donations afforded by the First Amendment, they hope to close the door behind them. Consider carefully Udall’s attempts to limit free speech when voting this November, PeakNation™.