Brownsville, Texas: The Last Stand Against Corporate Rule

In the grand tradition of American political theater, there have been many scandals, betrayals, and power plays. But nothing quite compares to the slow-motion hostile takeover of the U.S. presidency by Big Dark Money.

The first month of Donald Trump's second term as President of the United States has unfolded about how we all thought it would. As we at Move to Amend know too well, corruption and bribery have long been ugly facets of American governance. For Trump and his new Gilded Age cronies, however, corruption seems to be the priority.

One of Trump's more recent moves was signing an executive order freezing enforcement of the Federal Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), a law prohibiting companies operating in the United States from bribing foreign officials to influence business dealings in those countries. 

Anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International said the FCPA made the United States a leader in addressing global corruption - to the point that many countries have since adopted identical statutes. According to Gary Kalman, executive director of Transparency International U.S., Trump's order "diminishes - and could pave the way for completely eliminating - the crown jewel in the U.S.'s fight against global corruption."

The FCPA has been used by the Justice Department to win massive settlements from corporate bad actors such as Glencore, Walmart, and Goldman Sachs. In fact, Trump himself faced FCPA constraints attempting to build a hotel in Azerbaijan over a decade ago. Perhaps most telling, however, is that the FCPA was just recently used to win settlements totaling over $1.5 billion from suppliers and subsidiaries of Tesla, the electric vehicle company infamously run by Elon Musk, Trump's billionaire campaign financier and newest partner in crime.

Trump's order pauses enforcement of the FCPA for 180 days and, in an unusual move, directs new Attorney General Pam Bondi to not only prepare new guidelines for enforcement, but also review current and past actions related to the law to determine whether any FCPA enforcement actions were "inappropriate." Among these prior enforcement actions Bondi is set to review, there are at least four cases that involve Tesla suppliers or their subsidiaries. 

Every day, corporate influence tightens its grip—drowning out the voices of everyday people and shaping policies that put profits over our communities, our environment, and our future. Billionaires and corporate lobbyists flood elections with dark money, drowning out the voices of everyday Americans. Big Pharma blocks lower prescription drug prices while raking in record profits. Oil and gas giants bankroll politicians to stall climate action while wildfires rage and floods devastate communities. Corporate polluters poison our water—just ask the people of Flint and East Palestine—yet they face little to no accountability.

Together, we can change that! Join us for “Organizing for the We the People Amendment” on March 10.
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The We the People Amendment (H.J.Res. 54) is the solution. It will put an end to corporate constitutional rights and overturn Citizens United, ensuring that our government is led by people, not corporate interests. This amendment will make it clear: only human beings have constitutional rights, and money is not speech.

The anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade serves as a stark reminder that rights once considered fundamental can be stripped away. This devastating decision not only impacts reproductive freedom but also highlights the growing influence of corporate power over our legal system—a system increasingly designed to serve the interests of the few at the expense of the many.

We are witnessing an unprecedented corporate takeover—a full-scale power grab by billionaire elites and their unqualified loyalists, targeting the people, federal agencies, the media, social programs, the rule of law, the U.S. Constitution, and international agreements. But history has shown that moments of extreme repression can also be the tipping point for transformative change.

Cultural Change for the We the People Amendment

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                                                    - William Myers

Chattel slavery, the system where people are treated as property by being bought, sold, and owned, goes back thousands of years and across “civilizations.” It has often been seen as an unavoidable aspect of human history, where the powerful few force labor upon others.

Enslaved Africans first arrived on the North American continent to present day St. Augustine, FL in the mid 16th century. About 450,000 enslaved Africans ended up being transported to North America.

Friend – 

From the MTA team, we want to wish you a happy Black History Month. In a time where more and more powerful figures wish to hide from this country’s history and erase its diverse voices, it’s more important than ever to uplift, celebrate, and empower Black voices. 

Our struggle to end corporate personhood is intrinsically connected to enriching democracy, and no democracy is complete without working to end oppression. Corporations and the Supreme Court have abused what are meant to protect the marginalized in our communities – such as the wanton misemployment of the Fourteenth Amendment, which was used to establish corporate personhood in the late 19th century, when the Amendment originally intended to enshrine the personhood of formerly enslaved Black people and establish birthright citizenship. Equal protection under the Amendment is used more to protect corporations than Black and other oppressed Americans. Plus, when money is considered “free speech”, those who have been historically disenfranchised and institutionally kept in poverty are more and more shut out of the political process – we are split apart and further pitted against each other by those with power. Division is the enemy of organizing and now is not a time in which we can afford to be divided. 

February 20 marks a global celebration of World Day for Social Justice. The theme for 2025 is "Strengthening a Just Transition for a Sustainable Future." The idea of a sustainable future is a cruel joke while Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and big money interests are running the United States like a private equity firm and stripping us all for parts. It is up to us, the people, to enact this just transition and put an end to this nonsense, once and for all.

For the love of democracy, for the love of community, for the love of our shared future—we must act.

Representative Pramila Jayapal introduced the We the People Amendment (HJR54) into the 119th Congress on Wednesday with 28 original cosponsors, a bold step toward ending corporate constitutional rights i.e. corporate personhood and the corrupt notion that money in elections equals free speech. This amendment is a call to reclaim democracy, ensuring that our government serves the people—not corporations and wealthy elites.

At its core, this is about agapē—a deep, unconditional love for humanity. A love that compels us to protect one another, to ensure our government prioritizes public health, safety, and welfare of WE the people over corporate profits and personal gain. As corruption infiltrates our institutions, trust erodes, communities suffer, and the most vulnerable among us—bear the brunt.

We are at a crossroads. Will we continue to allow the insane notion that a corporation is a person entitled to constitutional rights and its money is a form of free speech that has rolled out the welcome mat for leaders to prioritize corporate- and self-interest and vengeance over the common good, leaving us vulnerable to divisive policies, economic instability, environmental collapse, and other preventable crises? Or will we demand real democracy that is genuinely accountable to the people, not corporate interests? The future is ours to shape, but only if we take action now.