E456 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks April 15, 2013 and co-founder: the Belva Brissett Advocacy ’S LEGISLATURE’S claim that corporations have political Center. SUPPORT OF A CONSTITUTIONAL rights. In 1991, Ms. Brown was appointed by Presi- AMENDMENT TO OVERTURN THE Corporations enjoy special state-conferred dent George H.W. Bush to the National Can- SUPREME COURT CASE, CITI- economic and legal advantages not enjoyed ZENS UNITED V. FEC by natural persons, including limited liabil- cer Advisory Board. As the first African Amer- ity of the shareholders, perpetual life of the ican woman to serve in this post, she was corporation itself, and favorable treatment able to direct vital funding toward inner-city HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN of the accumulation and distribution of as- cancer screenings and invite hundreds of OF MARYLAND sets. These advantages permit corporations leaders from the nation’s black community to IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES to amass vast sums of money that are spent properly for economic purposes but not for participate in education forums. She served on Monday, April 15, 2013 the President’s Special Commission on Breast the purposes of intervening in democratic Cancer from 1992 to 1994, organizing the Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like politics and entrenching corporate power. Cancer Awareness Program Services, CAPS. to submit the following: Article V of the United States Constitu- In January 2010, the Supreme Court issued And in 1993, Ms. Brown proudly helped orga- tion empowers the people, the states and the a decision in Citizens United v. FEC that fun- Congress to use the constitutional amending nize the Washington D.C.-based breast cancer damentally overturned American campaign fi- process to protect republican self-govern- survivor support group for African American nance laws by treating corporations as ‘‘per- ment. women, ‘‘Rise, Sister Rise.’’ Among countless sons’’ under the First Amendment, thus ena- This power has repeatedly been used by the local and national accolades, Ms. Brown also bling CEOs to make unlimited expenditures people when the Supreme Court has under- co-authored the 2003 book, ‘‘100 Questions from corporate treasuries into political cam- mined the progress or popular democracy. and Answers About Breast Cancer.’’ paigns. An estimated $1 billion of outside As Members of the Maryland General As- Today, California’s 13th Congressional Dis- money, an unprecedented amount, was spent sembly, we sharply disagree with the major- ity decision in Citizens United v. Federal trict and the District of Columbia salute and in the 2012 election. Of this amount, an esti- honor an outstanding individual and a stalwart Election Commission and call upon the mated $400 million was received from anony- United States Congress to propose and send community leader, Ms. Elzora Mae Brown. Her mous sources as it was channeled through invaluable service to our nation will be forever to the states for ratification as soon as is entities that do not have to identify their do- practicable a constitutional amendment to supported by the endless legacy of her work. nors. The impact of this secret special interest reverse this decision and restore fair elec- We offer our sincerest condolences to her be- money will greatly diminish the integrity of our tions and democratic sovereignty to the loved family and to the many friends and as- electoral process. states and to the people. sociates whose lives she touched over the Many legislative solutions have been identi- Very truly yours, course of her incredible life. She will be deeply fied to correct this trend that damages our de- Del. Aisha Braveboy; Del. Alfred Carr; Del. missed. mocracy. One alternative would reverse the ; Del. ; Del. decision of the Court through an amendment ; Del. ; Del. Aruna f Miller; Del. Barbara Frush; Del. Benjamin to the Constitution. Senator Jamie Raskin, Kramer; Del. ; Del. Brian IN HONOR OF THE 100TH ANNIVER- from the State of Maryland, has made a sig- Feldman; Del. Brian McHale; Del. C.T. Wil- SARY OF THE BOROUGH OF LAU- nificant contribution to the development of son; Del. Cheryl Glenn; Del. ; REL SPRINGS Federal legislation that would overturn the Citi- Del. ; Del. Dan Morhaim; Del. zens United case. Moreover, Senator Raskin ; Del. Doyle Niemann; Del. Eliza- has been a leader in the Maryland State Sen- beth Bobo. HON. ROBERT E. ANDREWS ate in amassing support from Maryland legis- Del. Emmett Burns; Del. Eric Leudtke; Del. Frank Turner; Del. Galen Clagett; Del. OF NEW JERSEY lators to call upon the U.S. Congress to pass a Constitutional Amendment to correct this de- Geraldine Valentino-Smith; Del. Guy IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES cision. I would like to commend Senator Guzzone; Del. Hattie Harrison; Del. Heather Mizeur; Del. James Gilchrist; Del. James Monday, April 15, 2013 Raskin for his work to strengthen the integrity Hubbard; Del. James Malone; Del. James of our electoral process. Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to Proctor; Del. ; Del. Jill Carter; honor the One-hundredth Anniversary of the THE MARYLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY, Del. Jon Cardin; Del. John Olszewski; Del. Annapolis, MD, January, 2012. John Wood; Del. Jolene Ivey; Del. Joseline founding of the Borough of Laurel Springs. TO THE HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE Pena-Melnyk; Del. Joseph Minnick. On April 2, 1913, the people of Laurel UNITED STATES CONGRESS: We, the Under- Del. Joseph Vallario; Del. Justin Ross; Del. Springs broke with Clementon Township to signed Members of the Maryland General As- ; Del. Keiffer Mitchell; Del. form their own community. In the past century, sembly, call upon you to pass a constitu- Keith Haynes; Del. Kiri11 Reznick; Del. Kris Laurel Springs has been a peaceful place to tional amendment to reverse the United Valderama; Del. Kumar Barve; Del. Luke call home for many, and a relaxing destination States Supreme Court’s 5–4 ruling in Citizens Clippinger; Del. Maggie McIntosh; Del. United v. Federal Election Commission for people from near and far. Its idyllic South Marvin Holmes; Del. Mary Washington; Del. (2010), which declared that corporations Melvin Stukes; Del. Michael Summers; Del. Jersey location has been appreciated for cen- enjoy the First Amendment political rights turies. Michael Weir; Del. Norman Conway; Del. of the people and toppled dozens of state and ; Del. Peter Hammen; Del. Poet Walt Whitman spent much of his time federal laws and many decades of judicial Peter Murphy; Del. Rudolph Cane. precedent preventing corporations (and between 1876 and 1884 in a summer house Del. Sam Arora; Del. Sandy Rosenberg; in what later became the Borough of Laurel unions) from spending corporate (and union) treasury funds in political campaigns. Del. ; Del. Shane Robin- Springs. It was there that he wrote portions of This radical departure from judicial prece- son; Del. Shaw Tarrant; Del. Sheila Hixson; his renowned collection Leaves of Grass. Of dent and democratic values has already Del. Shirley Nathan-Pulliam; Del. Stephen Laurel Lake, Whitman simply wrote that it was brought a torrent of corporate money, much Lafferty; Del. Steven DeBoy; Del. Susan Lee; ‘‘the prettiest lake in either America or Eu- of it secret, into American politics, fun- Del. Talmedge Branch; Del. Tawanna Gaines; rope.’’ Whitman’s praise revealed this well- damentally distorting public elections and Del. Theodore Sophocleus; Del. Tom Hucker; kept secret to the world, attracting residents campaigns for public office. The decision Del. Veronica Turner; Sen. Bill Ferguson; poses a direct and dramatic threat to govern- Sen. Brian Frosh; Sen. Catherine Pugh; Sen. and visitors and helping the community grow Delores Kelley; Sen. Edward Kasemeyer. and thrive. ment ‘‘of the people, by the people and for the people.’’ Sen. ; Sen. James Robey; Mr. Speaker, this beautiful community has By bringing corporations into the heart of Sen. ; Sen. Jamie Raskin; served as a home to generations of New the political process, Citizens United Sen. Jennie Forehand; Sen. Joan Carter- Jerseyans and a home away from home for changes the character of democracy. For- Conway; Sen. Joanne Benson; Sen. John tourists from around the world. On the centen- profit corporations (except benefit corpora- Astle; Sen. Karen Montgomery; Sen. Kath- nial of the creation of the borough, the citi- tions) are legally hound to pursue the maxi- erine Klausmeier; Sen. Lisa Gladden; Sen. zens, mayor, and council of Laurel Springs mization of profits and economic advantage Nancy King; Sen. Nathaniel McFadden; Sen. in all of their endeavors. This is one reason Norman Stone; Sen. Paul Pinsky; Sen. Rich- should be congratulated for reaching this mile- why most United States Supreme Court Jus- ard Madaleno; Sen. Robert Garagiola; Sen. stone. I join all of South Jersey in wishing the tices, from Chief Justice john Marshall to Robert Zirkin; Sen. ; Sen. Ron- people of Laurel Springs another hundred Chief Justice William Rehnquist. to Justice ald Young; Sen. Thomas Middleton; Sen. years of happiness and prosperity for their Byron White to the four dissenting justices ; Sen. Verna Jones Rodwell; community. in Citizens United v. FEC, have rejected the Sen. Victor Ramirez.

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