PRINTER'S NO. 3535
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
232
Session of
2022
INTRODUCED BY SCHROEDER, DALEY, FREEMAN, HENNESSEY, McNEILL,
SCHWEYER, THOMAS, TOMLINSON, TOPPER AND SAMUELSON,
SEPTEMBER 29, 2022
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, SEPTEMBER 29, 2022
A RESOLUTION
Urging the Congress of the United States to propose an amendment
to the Constitution of the United States to establish that
election spending may be regulated to ensure that every
citizen may exercise the rights to free speech, political
participation and meaningful representation.
WHEREAS, We the People have a compelling interest in
fostering robust political debate and self-governance, securing
the liberty and political equality of our citizens, guarding
against corruption and advancing federalism; and
WHEREAS, Over the past few decades, the Supreme Court of the
United States has gradually come to equate election spending
with "free speech"; and
WHEREAS, Election spending has the potential to drown out
speech rights for all citizens, narrow debate, weaken federalism
and self-governance in the states and increase the risk of
systemic corruption; and
WHEREAS, The states and Congress should have the ability to
enact reasonable regulations regarding election spending; and
WHEREAS, The framers wisely granted the states ultimate power
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to amend the Constitution of the United States when necessary to
make it and our union ever more perfect and to protect and
preserve self-governance and liberty; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the Congress of the United
States to propose and send to the states for ratification an
amendment to the Constitution of the United States to clarify
that states may regulate the spending of money to influence
elections in the states and that Congress may regulate the
spending of money to influence Federal elections, and that in so
doing the states and Congress may distinguish between natural
persons and legally recognized entities such as corporations and
government authorities; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
the Majority Leader of the Senate of the United States, the
Minority Leader of the Senate of the United States, the Speaker
of the House of Representatives of the United States, the
Minority Leader of the House of Representatives of the United
States and each member of Congress from Pennsylvania.
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