Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-21), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee and the author of the Democracy for All Amendment (H.J. Res 119, 113th Congress), issued this statement after participating in a reading of the U.S. Constitution to mark the start of the 114th Congress: 

“The Constitution is an extraordinary document that has guided our democracy through centuries of change and challenge. Today’s reading should remind us all that the power to amend the Constitution bestowed to us by our Framers is still our democratic right and the time to exercise that power is upon us. The ever-growing influence of special interests in our elections has made the democratic process less responsive to the needs of everyday voters, and too many Americans feel Washington is incapable of solving the challenges they face. In the coming weeks, my colleagues and I will reintroduce the Democracy for All Amendment and recommit ourselves to the task of advancing a 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that diminishes the influence of big money in our democracy."