March  14,  2017     Senate  Judiciary  Committee  Must  Focus  on     Judge  Gorsuch’s  Troubling  Money-­‐in-­‐Politics  Record       The  Honorable  Mitch  McConnell       The  Honorable  Chuck  Schumer   Senate  Majority  Leader         Senate  Minority  Leader   317  Senate  Russell  Senate  Office  Building     322  Hart  Senate  Office  Building   Washington,  D.C.  20510         Washington,  D.C.  20510     The  Honorable  Charles  Grassley         The  Honorable  Dianne  Feinstein     Chairman               Ranking  Member     Senate  Committee  on  the  Judiciary         Senate  Committee  on  the  Judiciary   224  Dirksen  Senate  Office  Building         152  Dirksen  Senate  Office  Building   Washington,  D.C.  20510           Washington,  D.C.  20510       Dear  Majority  Leader  McConnell,  Minority  Leader  Schumer,  Chairman  Grassley,  and     Ranking  Member  Feinstein:     As  organizations  representing  tens  of  millions  of  Americans,  we  write  to  express  our  deep   concern  regarding  the  nomination  of  Judge  Neil  Gorsuch  to  serve  on  the  Supreme  Court  of  the   United  States  because  of  his  troubling  record  on  money  in  politics.       Americans  across  the  country  are  concerned  about  the  growing  influence  of  big  money  in  our   elections  and  our  government.         Last  year,  the  cost  of  running  for  federal  office  rose  yet  again,  with  more  money  than  ever   coming  from  a  small  group  of  elite  donors,  and  a  substantial  amount  of  secret  money  in  the   system.  The  constant  pursuit  of  campaign  money  from  a  relative  handful  of  wealthy   contributors  skews  policy  outcomes  and  has  shaken  confidence  in  our  political  process.  Eighty-­‐ five  percent  of  voters  say  we  should  “fundamentally  change”  or  “completely  rebuild”  the   current  campaign  money  system.1     The  Supreme  Court  has  been  a  key  source  of  the  problem  by  outlawing  common  sense  limits  on   big  money  spending,  most  famously  in  the  Citizens  United  decision.  The  challenge  to  our   democracy  is  not  simply  the  influence  gained  by  billionaires  and  powerful  corporations  but,   more  deeply,  it  is  the  loss  of  an  effective  voice  for  the  vast  majority  of  Americans  and  of  public   confidence  by  ordinary  Americans  in  their  government  and  federal  officeholders.     The  next  justice  confirmed  to  lifetime  tenure  on  the  Court  will  likely  be  a  tie-­‐breaking  vote  in   new  cases  addressing  political  money.  In  future  decisions,  the  Court  might  erase  our  few   remaining  protections  against  big  money  influence  in  campaigns  and  policy-­‐making,  or  permit   a  balanced  political  system  in  which  all  voices  are  heard  and  currently  marginalized   communities  have  a  full  say  in  the  decisions  that  affect  their  lives.     Americans  understand  this,  and  93  percent  of  voters  think  it’s  important  that  President  Trump   nominates  a  Supreme  Court  justice  who  is  open  to  limiting  the  influence  of  big  money  in   politics.2    Unfortunately,  Judge  Gorsuch’s  record  on  money  in  politics  and  corporate  power  is   deeply  troubling,  and  suggests  he  would  support  increasing  the  power  of  the  wealthiest   interests  within  the  system.3     As  the  Senate  Judiciary  Committee  considers  whether  Judge  Gorsuch  is  fit  to  serve  all   Americans  as  a  Supreme  Court  Justice,  we  ask  that  you  vigorously  pursue  this  essential   question:     Will  Judge  Gorsuch’s  legal  philosophy  lead  him  to  strike  down  even  more  protections  against  the   use  of  corporate  or  personal  wealth  to  influence  elections,  such  as  candidate  and  party   contribution  limits,  or  will  he  permit  sensible  limits  on  political  money  in  order  to  ensure  the   voices  and  will  of  all  Americans  are  fully  represented  within  the  political  process?     Our  country’s  democracy  is  at  stake  in  the  answer  to  this  key  question.  The  seat  Judge  Gorsuch   seeks  does  not  belong  to  President  Trump,  Republicans,  Democrats,  liberals,  or  conservatives.   It  belongs  to  the  American  people.  As  Senators  it  is  your  duty  to  ensure  that  the  next  member  of   the  Supreme  Court  holds  dear  the  belief  that  the  Constitution  protects  all  of  us,  not  just  the   wealthy  and  the  powerful.  Any  nominee  who  does  not  meet  this  standard  must  not  occupy  a   lifetime  seat  on  the  nation’s  highest  court.     In  support  of  our  shared  democracy,       99Rise   Act.tv   AFSCME   Alliance  for  Citizenship   Alliance  for  Democracy   American  Atheists   American  Federation  of  Teachers   American  Association  of  University  Women  (AAUW)   Americans  for  Democratic  Action   American  Postal  Workers  Union   Americans  Against  Trump   Arab  American  Institute   Asian  Americans  Advancing  Justice   Association  of  Flight  Attendants   Berkshire  Environmental  Action  Team   Beyond  Nuclear   Brave  New  Films   California  Clean  Money  Campaign   Catholics  in  Alliance  for  the  Common  Good   Center  for  American  Progress   Center  for  Emergent  Diplomacy   Center  for  Media  and  Democracy   Center  for  Popular  Democracy   Center  for  Science  in  the  Public  Interest   Church  Women  United  in  New  York  State   Citizens  for  Responsibility  and  Ethics  in  Washington  (CREW)   Class  Action   Clean  Elections  Texas   Coalition  for  Disability  Health  Equity   Coalition  to  Restore  Democracy   CODEPINK   Coffee  Party  Savannah   Common  Cause   Concerned  Citizens  for  Change   Conscious  Elders  Network   Communications  Workers  of  America   DC  Emergent  Diplomacy   DC  Environmental  Network   DC  Latino  Caucus   Democracy  21   Democracy  Initiative   Democracy  Matters   Democracy  Spring   Demos   Don't  Waste  Michigan   End  Citizens  United   Endangered  Species  Coalition   Energy  Action  Coalition   EPI  Policy  Center   Every  Voice   Fix  Democracy  First!   Free  Speech  For  People   Friends  of  the  Earth   Gender  Justice  Institute   Genius  Hiphop   Get  Money  Out  -­‐  Maryland   Greenpeace  USA   Hightower  Lowdown   Indivisible   Institute  for  Agriculture  and  Trade  Policy   International  Union,  United  Automobile,  Aerospace  &  Agricultural  Implement     Workers  of  America,  UAW   Iowa  Citizens  for  Community  Improvement   Jobs  with  Justice   Just  Foreign  Policy   Labor  Campaign  for  Single  Payer  Healthcare   Latino  Victory  Project   The  Leadership  Conference  on  Civil  and  Human  Rights   League  of  Conservation  Voters   League  of  United  Latin  American  Citizens   Main  Street  Alliance   MapLight   MAYDAY  America   Mi  Familia  Vota   Missouri  Jobs  With  Justice  Voter  Action   National  Association  of  Social  Workers   NAACP   National  Black  Justice  Coalition   National  Center  for  Lesbian  Rights   National  Council  of  Jewish  Women   National  Education  Association   National  LGBTQ  Task  Force  Action  Fund   National  Organization  for  Women   National  Partnership  for  Women  and  Families   National  Priorities  Project   New  Florida  Majority   New  Progressive  Alliance   Northwest  Atlantic  Marine  Alliance   Occupy.com   Occupy  Bergen  County   OLE  -­‐  Organizers  in  the  Land  of  Enchantment   Organize  Florida   Other  98%  Action   Our  Revolution   Pachamama  Alliance   Participatory  Politics  Foundation   Patriotic  Millionaires   People  Demanding  Action   People  for  the  American  Way   PeopleNOW.org   People's  Action   Power  Shift  Network   Pride  at  Work   Represent.US   ReThink  Media   Reverb  Press   RootsAction.org   SEIU   Sierra  Club   Sierra  Student  Coalition   Small  Planet  Institute   Stamp  Stampede   Student  Debt  Crisis   TakeAction  Minnesota   The  Rootstrikers  Project  of  Demand  Progress   The  Workmen's  Circle   Union  For  Reform  Judaism   Voices  for  Progress   Voto  Latino   West  Virginia  Citizen  Action  Group   Wisconsin  Democracy  Campaign   Working  Families  Party                                                                                                                     1 Nicholas Confessore and Megan Three-Brennan, “Poll Shows Americans Favor an Overhaul of Campaign Financing,” THE NEW YORK TIMES (June 2, 2015). 2 The Supreme Court and Money in Politics: Survey Topline Findings, HATTAWAY COMMUNICATIONS (January 2017). 3 Judge Gorsuch’s Extreme Views Could Undermine Urgently Needed Money in Politics Reforms, DEMOS & CAMPAIGN LEGAL CENTER (January 31, 2017).