Brian Jones: “Last week, mailman Doug Hughes flew a gyrocopter onto the Capitol lawn to make a point about the influence of money in…”

“Last week, mailman Doug Hughes flew a gyrocopter onto the Capitol lawn to make a point about the influence of money in politics. While I don't condone violating restricted airspace and putting innocent people at risk by flying a gyrocopter onto the Capitol lawn, Mr. Hughes does have a point about the pervasive influence of money in politics. I have seen it get worse and worse during my 20 years in Congress. The Citizens United decision by the United States Supreme Court in 2010 created super-PACs and multi-millionaires who buy candidates. As of April 8, 2015, there were 1,360 super-PACs in existence that controlled nearly $700 million in the 2014 election cycle, according to OpenSecrets.org. The American people have lost confidence in the House and in the Senate partially because super-PACs influence candidates and politicians. Too many times I have seen bills come to the floor of the House that seem influenced by money. Just last week, the House voted on H.R. 650, the Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act of 2015, which does nothing but line the pockets of Warren Buffett by enabling his near- monopoly of the mobile home industry to strap poor people with higher interest rates while his companies are being protected from government regulations against predatory lending. It is my disgust at this influence of money in politics that has led me to be a cosponsor of H.R.…”