Clean Money, Clean Elections Act

The Clean Money, Clean Elections Act (S. 719) proposes a voluntary system of public financing for Senate campaigns to reduce the influence of large private donations in federal elections. Under this bill, candidates who agree to limit their spending and refuse private contributions would receive "clean money" grants from a newly established federal fund to finance their campaigns.

For everyday citizens, this legislation aims to shift the focus of political campaigns from high-dollar fundraising to voter engagement by providing public funds and free broadcast time to participating candidates. It also seeks to increase transparency by strengthening disclosure requirements for "soft money" and independent expenditures, while placing stricter limits on the types of funds political parties and candidates can solicit. Although introduced in 2001, the bill did not move past the committee stage and has not become law.