Bob Edgar, president of Common Cause, discusses current opportunities for campaign finance reform at the federal level. He outlines Common Cause's support for citizen-funded elections through the Fair Elections Now Act, which would provide public funding for congressional candidates who obtain enough small donations. Recent polls show strong bipartisan public support for reform to reduce the influence of money in politics. Support also comes from various organizations, President Obama, and some political donors and lobbyists. Edgar argues for passing the Fair Elections Now Act and fixing the presidential public financing system to get elected officials out of endless fundraising and end "pay-to-play" politics.

1. Fair Elections Now: current opportunities for federal campaign reform Bob Edgar, President & CEO Common Cause

5. And the biggest crisis of 2009

8. Health care

9. Health care (from “Legislating Under the Influence”) Health industries ’ campaign contributions to Congress, 2000-2008 Year / Industry Health Insurance Health Professionals Health Institutions Pharmaceutical & Health Products Total 2000 $12,904,634 $23,550,535 $6,508,361 $9,636,509 $52,600,039 2002 $12,437,381 $25,972,838 $6,875,944 $9,041,329 $54,327,492 2004 $19,324,441 $39,125,256 $10,723,010 $14,258,163 $83,430,870 2006 $18,709,649 $40,598,829 $11,278,207 $17,857,826 $88,444,511 2008 $20,319,441 $43,367,160 $11,864,268 $18,582,414 $94,133,283 Total $83,695,546 $172,614,618 $47,249,790 $69,376,241 $372,936,195

10. Climate crisis << Contributions by the energy industries and environmental groups in the 2008 election cycle (in millions)

13. How to raise it all?

14. How to raise it all?

15. “ That’s me during ‘call time,’ which is basically what candidates for public office do all day.” - Al Franken, 2007 How to raise it all? (the honest way)

16. How much call time? ~20 hours a week And that’s not even during “campaign season.”

17. Our goal: Change the way we finance elections. Get elected officials out of the endless fundraising race so they can do the job we elected them to do.

21. “ I got to spend time with voters as opposed to dialing for dollars, or trying to sell tickets to $250-a-plate fundraisers. This was much better.” Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano (D), 2004

25. Organizations support

26. Presidential * Model : now parallel to Fair Elections system * White House : likely to be engaged and support (Norm Eisen) Opportunity : work presidential and congressional together Message: similar, plus “if it’s good enough for one, it should be good enough for the other!”

29. Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) (Video)