James Talarico

So let me just name three things that I would put in that comprehensive political reform package.

One is banning super PACs and corporate PACs, because I think Citizens United was probably the most disastrous decision from the Supreme Court in recent decades.

And that's saying something because there's been some really horrific decisions that have come down from this court.

But I think Citizens United is probably the worst.

I think banning corporate PACs and super PACs is probably the single best thing we could do to mitigate the impacts of Citizens United.

So that'd be one.

Two, it would be banning members of Congress from trading stocks and enriching themselves while they're in public office.

Public service should be a service.

It should not be a career.

It should not be a way that you become rich and wealthy.

And I think we have to have policies in place that ensure that's the case.

And then last, I would say it is banning political gerrymandering.

I led the quorum break last summer to shine a national spotlight on this redistricting power grab that we've seen go from state to state across this country.

And I think we have to pass a national ban to end

gerrymandering once and for all in every state in the union, red states and blue states alike, because that's the only way that you're gonna get representatives who are actually competing for every vote in their districts.

Because right now you've got solidly red districts, solidly blue districts.

The only threat to people's reelection is their far right flank or their far left flank in a primary.

And if we want people to focus on the broad middle,

then I think we have to have districts that are truly competitive in a general election.

And banning gerrymandering is the only way to do that.