February 13, 2012 The Honorable Adam Schiff, Member of Congress

Dear Adam, I am always grateful for your leadership and your willingness to engage those you represent on matters of great import. In that spirit I write you today about another issue. January 21, 2012 marked the second anniversary of Citizens United v. F.E.C., where a narrow majority of the U.S. Supreme Court asserted that the Constitution prevents Congress from limiting the amount of money that can be spent influencing our elections. The U.S. Constitution has served us very well, but when the Supreme Court says, for purposes of the First Amendment, that corporations are people, that writing checks from the company's bank account is constitutionally-protected speech and that attempts by the federal government and states to impose reasonable restrictions on campaign advertising are unconstitutional, our democracy is in grave danger. In my sermon of January 22, 2012 at All Saints Church, Pasadena, I joined in the call for a Constitutional amendment to ensure that Citizens United is reversed and that the notion of corporate personhood cannot be constitutionally protected. I would appreciate your doing everything in your power to support such a Constitutional amendment along with any other measures that would in the meantime counter the deleterious effects of Citizens United on our electoral process.

All my best,

Ed Bacon, Rector All Saints Church 132 North Euclid Avenue Pasadena, California 91101

Excerpt from this sermon by Ed Bacon on January 22nd, 2012 on "Citizens United" and the need to constitutionally overturn it. ===================================

BILL MOYERS: the question that haunts our time: Why, in a nation as rich as America, has the economy stopped working for people at large even as those at the top enjoy massive rewards? The struggle of ordinary people for a decent living, for security, is as old as the republic, but its taken on a new and urgent edge. Instead of shared prosperity our political system has now produced a winner-take-all economy. January 21 marks the second anniversary of Citizens United v. F.E.C., where a narrow majority of the U.S. Supreme Court asserted that the Constitution prevents Congress from limiting the amount of money that can be spent influencing our elections. I today join in he call for a Constitutional amendment to unsure that Citizens united is reversed and that corporate personhood is reversed. That is the wrong direction for this country. We need to take the exit ramp and turn around. The US Constitution has served us very well, but when the supreme court says, for purposes of the first amendment, that corporations are people, that writing checks from the company's bank account is constitutionally-protected speech and that attempts by the federal government and states to impose reasonable restrictions on campaign ads are unconstitutional, our democracy is in grave danger. So today I join in the call for a constitutional amendment to ensure that Citizens United is reversed and that corporate personhood is reversed. That is the wrong direction for this country. We need to take the exit ramp and turn around.