Ethics Reform
Maria has fought her entire career to keep our government clean and accountable to the people it was created to serve. She has led by example, raising money for her campaigns from individuals rather than political action committees. In the Senate, Maria has been a leader for campaign finance reform, and helped pass key reforms in 2002. She knows that strong, clear rules make for an honest government Americans can trust.
Leading the Fight for Clean Elections
Maria believes that all groups seeking to influence the outcome of elections should spend less money and play by the rules. She campaigned in 2000 on a clean government platform, swearing off soft money and contributions from political action committees. She was a leader in passing the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill, which banned unlimited soft money donations to federal parties and candidates. Maria was an original cosponsor of the "Clean Money, Clean Elections Act" and has worked to expand campaign finance disclosure.
Limiting the Influence of Lobbyists
For more than a decade, Maria has fought to reform the relationship between lobbyists and lawmakers. She believes transparency is critical to prevent special interests from wielding too much influence on our government. She has sought to ban gifts from lobbyists, crack down on travel paid for by special interests, increase disclosure and impose stricter penalties for rule-breakers.
Fighting Corruption and Cronyism
Maria knows we need to curb the influence of lobbyists on our federal agencies. She has worked to prevent special interests and industries from lining up their own allies to be their watchdogs. Far too often, lobbyists and cronies are appointed to government posts. Enron's Ken Lay proposed candidates to head up the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and when one of his pals got the job, Enron took advantage. Maria knows we can do better.