To: The United States Congress, The President of the United States, The Supreme Court of the United States

​Why this is important:

​The practice of lobbying—where professional advocates are paid to influence political decisions on behalf of special interests—has corrupted the fundamental principles of American democracy. This system allows wealth and corporate power to systematically supersede the interests, needs, and values of the American public, creating a government beholden to corporate donors, not citizens.

​The current legal and financial structure of lobbying directly violates the spirit of a government "of the people, by the people, for the people" by granting disproportionate access and influence to those with the deepest pockets. This practice is the root cause of systemic issues, including policy gridlock, regulatory capture, and the perpetuation of economic inequality.

​This petition calls for immediate and fundamental constitutional and legislative action to effectively ABOLISH ALL FORMS OF PAID LOBBYING AND SPECIAL INTEREST ADVOCACY that seek to influence the legislative or regulatory process.

​We demand that the U.S. Government take the following actions:

​Enact a Constitutional Amendment to Ban Paid Political Influence:

Congress must propose, and the states must ratify, a constitutional amendment that unequivocally bans the solicitation or acceptance of financial compensation in exchange for influencing federal legislation, executive action, or regulatory decisions. This includes barring all corporations, unions, and non-profit organizations from paying individuals to contact, meet with, or advise government officials with the purpose of affecting policy outcomes.

​Pass Comprehensive Legislative Reform to End the "Revolving Door":

Congress must pass the most rigorous legislation possible to close the "revolving door" between government service and private advocacy. This legislation must include:

​A permanent ban on any former member of Congress, senior executive branch official, or regulatory head from ever working as a lobbyist, consultant, or paid advocate for any entity they regulated or legislated on behalf of during their government service.

​Prohibitions on all political fundraising activities by sitting members of Congress outside of narrowly defined, publicly funded election periods.

​Establish a Fully Publicly-Funded System of Expert Consultation:

In place of paid private lobbying, Congress must establish a robust, publicly-funded system for official, transparent consultation. This system should mandate that all external expertise and testimony needed for policy decisions is solicited through a non-partisan, public process managed by bodies like the Congressional Research Service (CRS) or the National Academy of Sciences, ensuring that advice is based on evidence, not financial self-interest.

​The unchecked influence of Paid Lobbying is a clear and present danger to American democracy:

​It Distorts Policy: It ensures that policies on healthcare, environment, taxation, and finance benefit the highest-paying donors and corporations at the expense of public welfare.

​It Undermines Representation: It creates a two-tiered system where ordinary citizens have to petition, while wealthy organizations and corporations buy privileged access.

​It Fosters Cynicism: It poisons public trust by demonstrating that political outcomes are for sale, leading to widespread voter disengagement and apathy.

​By signing this petition, you are demanding that our government be returned to the American people, where policy is decided by public good and ethical representation, not by the financial power of special interests.

​SIGN AND SHARE to take back our democracy and abolish the buying and selling of political influence.