Washington — Following the reintroduction of the Protecting Our Democracy Act in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Adam Schiff, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington President Noah Bookbinder released the following statement:

“No one is above the law, and under the previous administration, we witnessed firsthand the consequences of failing to address the critical weaknesses in our nation’s ethics, transparency and accountability laws designed to shield our democracy from corruption and abuse. And just as Congress did after Watergate, we must enact new laws and reforms that strengthen our democratic institutions against the self-serving interests of future presidents of any party who seek to abuse the powers of their office to protect and enrich themselves and their family and friends, target their political opponents, and solicit foreign interference in our elections.

“Now more than ever, it is critical that Congress take the necessary steps toward safeguarding our democracy against politicians who weaponize their positions to increase their power or enrich themselves at the expense of our democracy. The Protecting Our Democracy Act would curb abuses of power by presidents of both parties, strengthen Congress’s ability to fulfil its constitutional role as a check on executive branch overreach, and secure our elections from foreign influence. In order to save our democracy from the critical weaknesses that threaten our institutions, Congress must pass the Protecting Our Democracy Act.”