INSTITUTE INDEX: After Senate setback, movement to limit money in politics marches on

By Sue Sturgis / September 12, 2014

The corrosive influence of Big Money over elections is sparking protests -- and inspiring a movement for reform. (Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Public Citizen via Flickr.)

Date on which the U.S. Senate took a procedural vote on the Democracy for All constitutional amendment to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling and limit money in political campaigns: 9/11/2014

Votes a constitutional amendment needs to pass the Senate: 67

Votes the Democracy for All amendment needed to move on to final consideration: 60

Votes it got: 54

Number of Republicans who voted in favor of considering the amendment: 0

Number of Democrats who voted against consideration: 0

Years since the U.S. Supreme Court handed down the Citizens United decision lifting restrictions that had blocked corporations and unions from spending general treasury funds to support or oppose candidates: 4

Years it took the U.S. Senate to pass the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote, which was also drafted in response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling: 41

Number of states that have called for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United: 16

Number of cities and towns that have done likewise: more than 550

Number of Congress members that have expressed their support for the amendment: more than 200

Number of Republican elected officials who have called on Congress to pass an amendment bill: more than 100

Number of Americans who signed petitions supporting the amendment: 3.2 million

Number of calls supporters of the amendment made to Senate offices this week alone: more than 15,000

Margin by which all voters oppose Citizens United: 3-1

Margin by which Republican voters oppose it: 2-1

Month by which amendment supporters are calling on House Speaker John Boehner to schedule action on the proposal in his chamber so voters will know where their representatives stand on the issue before the election: 11/2014

Number of states that "Nuns on the Bus," an effort organized by the Catholic social justice lobby NETWORK, plan to visit over the coming month to protest the influence of Big Money on elections: 10

(Click on figure to go to source.)

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