Congressman John Yarmuth, D-Ky., has introduced a bill that seeks to diminish the influence of special interest groups.
The Fair Elections Now Act—or FENA —would create a public financing system for congressional races by providing a 5-to-1 federal match of contributions smaller than $100. In order to qualify, candidates would have to raise $50,000 through those small, in-state contributions.
Yarmuth says the legislation would enable more diverse candidates who are funded by small donations to compete in federal elections.
"The American people have ample evidence of the unfortunate influence of money on politics and policy. And FENA is an attempt to allow people to run for office and not be dependent upon big donors and therefore be primarily answerable to citizens and not to special interests," he says.
