VoteDown is a dream of an American Democracy where Congress actually listens to the people they represent.

After so many years of Congress ignoring average American voices, having them kow tow to Dark Money Special Interests, while distracting the populace with Bread and Circus, it does feel like we have to dream to get something so basic as actual representative democracy. The simple goal of giving citizens a voice in their democracy almost seems out of reach in the day and age of excessive gerrymandering, legalized bribery, and social media manipulations.

We aim to fix that by letting people pool their resources together and use those resources to punish Representatives and Senators when they ignore the will of their voters. By acting together and concentrating on the simple goal of listening to constituents, we can drive a change in behavior. No more will Congress fear the NRA or other Special Interests - instead they will fear crossing their own citizens and incurring the wrath of the people.

Like most of us, I’m furious - but not surprised - to see money in politics rear its ugly head again in the current tariff discussions with Mexico and Canada. The American public, by and large, hates this idea. Polls show upwards of 60% of citizens oppose slapping tariffs on our closest neighbors, and for good reason: it’s a policy that promises higher prices, job losses, and economic chaos. Yet, here we are, watching Congress tiptoe around the issue like it’s a live grenade, too scared to defy the deep-pocketed interests pushing this disaster forward. It’s not just a betrayal of the people—it’s a neon sign flashing how broken our system is when cash calls the shots.

Let’s cut through the noise. President Trump’s 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, implemented March 4, 2025, under the guise of curbing immigration and drug trafficking, are a sledgehammer where a scalpel might’ve sufficed. Economic models - like those from the Global Trade Analysis Project - predict a bloodbath: over 177,000 U.S. job losses without retaliation, ballooning to 400,000 if Canada and Mexico hit back, which they’ve already started doing. Wages could drop by 0.2% here, and far worse north and south of the border. The Tax Foundation estimates an average household tax hike of $1,072, hitting the poorest the hardest. Avocados, cars, lumber - everyday costs are spiking, and the ripple effects are just beginning.

The 2024 congressional elections are over, but the stench of big money lingers, a noxious reminder that democracy is increasingly a game of wallets, not votes. It’s not just the campaigns, awash in billions from corporate PACs and megadonors, that reveal this betrayal; it’s the laws that follow, shaped not by the will of the people but by the interests of the highest bidders. As of March 5, 2025, the data is damning, and the public’s frustration is palpable. Congress isn’t just selling out the vote; it’s selling out the very soul of governance.

The numbers from the 2024 cycle are staggering. According to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), congressional candidates collectively raised $3.3 billion by September 30, 2024, with $2.8 billion spent before the ballots were even cast. Political action committees (PACs) poured in $12.3 billion, dwarfing candidate funds, with super PACs alone accounting for $4.5 billion in outside spending by November 2024, per OpenSecrets. This isn’t grassroots enthusiasm; it’s a corporate takeover. Over 65% of the $8.6 billion total haul, some $5.6 billion, came from PACs, not individuals, per USAFacts. The average voter’s $20 donation? A rounding error next to the $277 million Elon Musk funneled to Trump and allied Republicans, as reported by The Washington Post in December 2024.

It’s a tale as old as democracy itself, yet in 2025, the disparity between who Congress listens to—big donors or everyday citizens—feels more infuriating than ever. The numbers don’t lie, and they paint a grim picture: lawmakers are drowning in campaign cash while constituent voices are left on hold, ignored, or drowned out. As of March 5, 2025, the disconnect between the flood of money into congressional campaigns and the dwindling attention paid to the average American is a scandal hiding in plain sight.

Let’s start with the money. The 2024 election cycle saw congressional candidates rake in a staggering $3.3 billion by September 30, 2024, according to the latest Federal Election Commission (FEC) data. Over half of that—$1.7 billion—came from political action committees (PACs) and large individual donors, those writing checks for more than $200. Contrast that with the $984.9 million still sitting in campaign coffers, ready to fuel the next round of ads, private jets, and donor dinners. Meanwhile, the average constituent can’t even get a meeting. Kevin McCarthy, before his 2023 resignation, raised $15.4 million—mostly from big money—while Hakeem Jeffries pulled in $15.1 million. These aren’t outliers; they’re the norm. Vince Fong, McCarthy’s replacement, has already amassed $1.4 million by May 2024, much of it from the same elite circles.

In a brazen display of cowardice and disdain for the very people they claim to represent, Republican lawmakers are now shirking their fundamental duties by avoiding in-person town hall meetings. This reprehensible tactic is a transparent attempt to dodge accountability for the draconian budget cuts and mass firings orchestrated by Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), all under the approving gaze of President Donald Trump.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, echoing the paranoid delusions of the administration, has the audacity to label concerned citizens as "professional protesters," suggesting that their heartfelt grievances are nothing more than orchestrated disruptions. This is not only an insult to the intelligence of the American populace but also a blatant attempt to delegitimize genuine dissent. Johnson's recommendation for GOP lawmakers to opt for controlled environments like telephone town halls or small group meetings is nothing short of a calculated move to silence opposition and evade the raw, unfiltered feedback from their constituents.

As of February 2025, a seismic controversy is shaking the halls of Congress, exposing the corrosive grip of political donations on our democracy. The pharmaceutical industry’s relentless campaign contributions are silencing lawmakers, blocking desperately needed drug pricing reforms, and betraying millions of Americans struggling with skyrocketing prescription costs. It’s time to rip the cash out of Congress and demand accountability—starting with a VoteDown Campaign to target the politicians selling us out.

The issue hit a boiling point this month when the Senate failed to advance the Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act, a bill that would have capped insulin prices at $35 a month and allowed Medicare to negotiate drug prices directly with manufacturers. Despite overwhelming public support—polls show 85% of Americans back these reforms—the bill stalled, thanks to fierce opposition from Big Pharma lobbyists and their congressional allies. Why? Follow the money: pharmaceutical PACs and executives poured over $60 million into congressional campaigns in the 2024 cycle alone, with a staggering $12 million going to key Senate Republicans like Mitch McConnell and John Cornyn, who led the charge to kill the bill. These donations aren’t charity—they’re bribes, buying silence and votes to protect Pharma’s obscene profits.

Data from watchdog groups reveals the depth of the rot.

Trump’s Project 2025 is steamrolling education, and Congress is letting it happen—thanks to a flood of corporate cash. This week, Republicans in the House pushed a $5 billion tax credit for private schools, gutting public education funding. It’s straight from Project 2025’s playbook, prioritizing wealthy donors over kids. But Congress isn’t fighting back—they’re cashing in.

Big Education PACs and private school lobbies have poured millions into congressional campaigns in 2025, with over $57 million tracked in recent donations, mostly to GOP lawmakers. Posts on X show outrage, but the money talks louder. These donations buy silence or votes, ensuring lawmakers ignore crumbling public schools while funneling cash to elite academies. It’s a rigged game: donors get tax breaks, and students get screwed.

The swamp’s drowning in cash, and Congress is holding the hose. Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are gunning to gut the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)—$40 billion in taxpayer funds for global good—without a congressional peep. This isn’t just an overreach; it’s a neon sign screaming how money corrodes our democracy.

USAID delivers—prosthetics for Ukrainian fighters, Ebola containment in Africa—but Trump calls it “waste,” and Musk labels it a “leftist scam.” Congress, with its constitutional grip on spending, should be raging. Instead, they’re silent, pockets stuffed with over $4 billion in lobbying cash from 2023 alone. Dark money’s even uglier—$250 million in 2024 elections bought loyalty to donors, not voters. Musk smirks, “Where’d Congress get all that money?” Easy: the same system he’s gaming.