Executive Council Statement
A Fair and Open System for Financing and Conducting Federal Elections
… We must fundamentally reform that system so that wealth no longer yields disproportionate influence. Citizens must be able to make their voices heard regardless of how much money they bring to bear on the process. The AFL-CIO believes that … influence elections by making their voices heard on candidates and issues, volunteering their time, and exercising their right to vote. Working families participate in public affairs most effectively when they join together, through their unions, … of Issue Advocacy Political campaigns are essentially about ideas and policy choices, and the First Amendment protects the right to engage freely in public issue advocacy. Legal restraints on speech under the guise of campaign finance reform are …