Elon Musk spent $277 million on this year's elections

 

I needed to share this startling fact: Elon Musk spent $277 million to elect Trump and other Republicans this year. [1] That’s enough money to buy groceries for an average American household for nearly 46,167 years! [2] His return on that investment? Musk will co-lead the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), tasked with firing federal workers, cutting social programs, and slashing federal regulations. When billionaires get this kind of power over our elections, we all pay the price: decaying infrastructure, inaction on gun control and climate, and tax breaks for the ultra-rich. This is NOT how our democracy is supposed to work. We the People should call the shots when it comes to the issues that impact our everyday lives, not power-crazed billionaires. People like Elon Musk buying our government is a direct consequence of Citizens United, the 5-4 Supreme Court ruling that allowed unrestricted Big Money spending in our elections. The sad truth is that Musk is one of dozens of billionaires, corporations, and special interest groups who made up the lion’s share of 2024 election spending. And it’s only going to get worse: Musk has threatened to outspend any candidate – Republican or Democrat – who doesn’t go Trump’s way. [3] But it doesn’t have to be this way. That’s why Common Cause has urged Congress pass commonsense reforms like the Freedom to Vote Act and the DISCLOSE Act to limit Big Money’s influence and give everyday Americans a stronger say. I’ll be honest: I don’t have that much money – and I’m sure you don’t either. So, while outspending billionaires may not be an option, we have the power of the people. It won’t be easy, but it’s necessary if we want our democracy to survive. Will you chip in $3 right now to help fuel our efforts to reign in Big Money’s influence on our democracy – to stop billionaires like Elon Musk from calling the shots? If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: Chip in $3 now >> Thanks for all you do, Aaron Scherb, Senior Director of Legislative Affairs and the team at Common Cause [1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/12/06/elon-musk-trump-campaign-spending-fec/ [2] https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/how-much-should-i-spend-on-groceries [3] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/12/10/elon-musk-role-in-new-trump-administration-takes-shape/76886742007/

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