{"id":38407,"date":"2012-03-27T10:18:14","date_gmt":"2012-03-27T16:18:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=38407"},"modified":"2012-03-29T06:06:41","modified_gmt":"2012-03-29T12:06:41","slug":"heinrich-balderas-oppose-citizens-united-decision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2012\/03\/heinrich-balderas-oppose-citizens-united-decision\/","title":{"rendered":"Heinrich, Balderas oppose Citizens United decision"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The

The U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C. (Photo by Heath Haussamen)<\/p><\/div>\n

Martin Heinrich calls the U.S. Supreme Court\u2019s Citizens United decision \u2018a slap in the face to average Americans;\u2019 Hector Balderas says corporations \u2018don\u2019t deserve to have such an outsized influence over our election process.\u2019<\/h4>\n

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This post continues a series on the U.S. Senate<\/a> and 1st Congressional District<\/a> candidates\u2019 stances on various policy issues.<\/em><\/p>\n

Martin Heinrich<\/a> has co-sponsored legislation<\/a> proposing a constitutional amendment to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court\u2019s Citizens United decision; Hector Balderas<\/a> says he \u201cstrongly\u201d supports such efforts.<\/p>\n

Heinrich, a member of the U.S. House and a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, said the Citizens United decision<\/a>, which tossed out limits on political spending by corporations and unions, \u201copened the floodgates to unrestricted, special-interest campaign donations in American elections \u2013 even from entities controlled by foreign governments.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike most New Mexicans, I was outraged,\u201d Heinrich said. \u201cThe\u00a0Citizens United\u00a0decision was a victory for the Wall Street banks, foreign corporations and Big Oil, but it was a slap in the face to average Americans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Balderas, Heinrich\u2019s opponent in the Democratic Senate primary, said the \u201cidea that corporations with interests that run counter to those of the American people can pour unlimited sums into our political system and directly affect the outcome of elections is simply unconscionable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCorporations are not citizens,\u201d Balderas said. \u201cThey don\u2019t vote, they don\u2019t serve in the military \u2013 and they don\u2019t deserve to have such an outsized influence over our election process.\u201d<\/p>\n

The candidates also talked about ethics reform proposals they support.<\/p>\n

The candidates made their comments in response to questions from NMPolitics.net about the influence of money in politics and ethics reform. NMPolitics.net gave the candidates no word minimum or limit, telling them to say what they had to say. The only criterion was that they not engage in personal attacks.<\/p>\n

Here are the questions NMPolitics.net asked on money in politics and ethics reform:<\/p>\n