After an inspiring presidential campaign that promised to take on the status quo, lobbyists flexed their muscles (and their wallets) and showed us who really runs the show in Washington, D.C. They made it clear that big money campaign contributions can stall, compromise, or kill long overdue reforms. Exerting their pull over politicians who must raise campaign money at every turn, corporate lobbyists carried the day on health insurance reform, financial reform, foreclosure relief for homeowners, and credit card interest rates. Every time big money won, we lost.

It is absolutely critical that we seize this moment to reform our political system before more damage is done.

The Fair Elections Now Act (H.R. 1826, S. 752) is a fair-minded, common-sense solution to the unfair influence of wealthy campaign contributors. Under this proposal, candidates for Congress would pay for their campaigns with a limited public grant coupled with a 4-to-1 match on small-dollar contributions. Candidates who choose this system would no longer depend on big contributions to pay for their campaigns.

Sponsored by Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson (D-Conn.), the bill has 124 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives. President Barack Obama was a sponsor of the bill when he was a U.S. Senator.

Let members of Congress know that in 2010 you want them to put voters ahead of big money donors by passing the Fair Elections Now Act. Sign the petition today!