Panetta cosponsors bill addressing ethics

Congressman Jimmy Panetta cosponsored a bill with broad implications related to ethics in government and elections.

According to a statement from Panetta’s office:

Today, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-20) cosponsored the first major Democratic legislative priority in the 116^th Congress, H.R. 1, The For The People Act of 2019.

“The new House Majority is dedicated to passing pro-democracy, anti-corruption reforms to support the American people. Empowerment, transparency, and accountability are bedrocks of democracy. Unfortunately, these foundational principles have been eroded.  The For the People Act will restore our democracy, strengthen the electorate, and expose fraud and deceit,” said Congressman Panetta. 

The For The People Act will:

• Strengthen Americans’ participation in democracy.  The legislation implements automatic voter registration, requires early voting, bolsters U.S. servicemember absentee voting, and implements redistricting reforms.
• Enhance election security.  The legislation establishes election cybersecurity protocols, designates election infrastructure as critical, and requires a national strategy for protecting U.S. democratic institutions and countering threats.
• Promotes campaign transparency.  The legislation prohibits foreign political spending, increases transparency on dark money contributions, and enhances campaign finance rules.
• Increases ethical standards.  The legislation requires conflict of interest reports from the White House and Congress, mandates Executive Branch ethics waivers be made public, and requires the release of Presidential tax returns.