Holding Washington Accountable
When Americans look at Congress, they’re frustrated by a system that seems to benefit the wealthy and well-connected while ignoring the challenges of ordinary Americans. The Supreme Court’s decision to allow a flood of corporate money into our elections has only made the problem worse.
That’s why Louise has been such a strong voice for reform in Congress. She wrote the STOCK Act - a bill that outlaws insider trading in the halls of Congress. Atter working on the issue for 6 long years, Louise was proud to see the bill signed into law by President Obama on April 4, 2012.
Louise has also authored numerous reports detailing corruption and the influence of special interests in Washington. In 2006, Louise led an investigation into the influence of special interests in Washington, and published a report titled, "America for Sale". She has also been a fighter for the DISCLOSE Act, which would require companies to disclose political contributions and would require shareholder approval for corporate campaign expenditures.
Louise led a lonely fight against military contractors who were supplying sub-par body armor to our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. She organized her own hearings, wrote letters to the Secretary of Defense, and prodded the Department of Defense to launch a full-scale audit of their body armor contracts. Thanks to Louise's efforts 16,000 pieces of body armor were recalled from the battlefields, and just last year, the Department of Defense issued recommendations to improve their system for purchasing body armor, and ensure our troops receive world class protection while they fight for the country we love.
Recently, Louise has been leading an effort to hold the Supreme Court accountable to the same standards of behavior as every other federal justice. Louise has called for the Supreme Court to adopt the Code of Conduct for United States Judges- a binding code that currently applies to every federal justice except the 9 members of the Supreme Court.
Louise believes that in America, no matter the title you hold, nor the power you yield, you should be equal in the eyes of the law. It is the ethic that drives her work on these important issues of accountability and transparency, and her motivation to continue the fight to hold Washington accountable to the American people and the people of Western New York.