Corruption & Democracy

Politics feels corrupt because it is.

Billionaire mega-donors aren’t just buying yachts and jets — they’re buying power, and they’re using that power to rig our political system.

Billionaires and their giant corporations pour millions of dollars into campaign contributions and corporate PACs to elect politicians who will do their bidding. In return, they get tax loopholes that save themselves money — and the government makes up for the lost revenue by raising taxes on the rest of us or slashing the programs we’ve paid into.

• Our schools are being defunded — so billionaires can get another tax break.
• Our health premiums are going up — so billionaires can get another tax break.
• Our Social Security benefits are constantly under threat — so billionaires can get yet another tax break.

Then the politicians who engage in this corruption try to shield themselves from accountability by gerrymandering our political maps and making it harder for us to vote. They get rich off their offices through insider trading, and they cover up each other’s crimes just like they’ve done with the Epstein files.

It’s time to end this broken political system.

That’s why I’ve never taken a dime of corporate PAC money. It’s why I broke quorum twice with my colleagues in the Texas House to fight back against rigged redistricting maps and defend the freedom to vote. And it’s why the first set of legislation I will pursue in the U.S. Senate will be an anti-corruption package to ban super PACs and corporate PACs, ban partisan gerrymandering, and increase transparency and accountability in all branches of government. 

Because making progress on every other issue we care about — whether it’s health care, education, or the cost of living — comes down to getting dark money out of our politics and making sure government is accountable to us.

This is not a comprehensive list! If you have policy ideas you want to see from your next U.S. Senator, please reach out HERE. We want to hear from you!

• Get Big Money out of our politics: Reverse the impact of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling, including by banning super PACs and corporate PACs.
• Ban partisan gerrymandering nationwide: Establish independent redistricting commissions so that voters can choose their politicians — not the other way around.
• Make it easier for citizens to participate in our elections: Pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to remove unnecessary barriers to registering to vote and casting a ballot.
• Ban Congressional stock trading: Ban Members of Congress from trading individual stocks, engaging in insider trading, and profiting from their positions.
• Institute term limits on Members of Congress: Implement term limits of six two-year terms in the House and two six-year terms in the Senate to bring new perspectives to Congress and prevent entrenched, career politicians who are not accountable to their constituents.
• Require Members of Congress to hold annual town halls: Ensure officials are listening and responding to their constituents through yearly town halls in their district.
• Ban presidential pardons: Eliminate the broad power of presidential pardons that has been abused by presidents on both sides of the aisle.
• Increase accountability for the Supreme Court: Implement term limits and a binding code of conduct for U.S. Supreme Court justices, including mandating rules for recusals, financial disclosures, and limitations on accepting gifts.
• Increase oversight and improve ethics at all levels of government: Defend against government efforts to ignore court rulings or dismantle checks and balances, and only confirm judicial appointees who meet the highest ethical standards and commit to upholding the Constitution.

• Never taken a dime of corporate PAC money since my very first race for the Texas House in 2017.
• Authored legislation to combat corrupt politics through establishing campaign contribution caps on state-level candidates and creating an Independent Citizen Redistricting Commission to end partisan gerrymandering in Texas.
• Broke quorum twice in the Texas House to fight back against partisan redistricting power grabs and defend the freedom to vote.
• Made elections and voting information more accessible by requiring counties to post notice of election information on their websites.