Supreme Court Chief Justice Louis Brandeis called states the laboratories of our democracy -- places where policy could be tried, polished and perfected for the national stage. States from Maine to Connecticut to Arizona have tested fair-election laws to clean up corruption and take the influence of big money out of their local elections. Now it is time to pass comprehensive fair elections legislation on a national level.

We have seen the benefits and witnessed the pitfalls of this kind of legislation in our home states. There have been bumps along the way and wrinkles have been ironed out. But in the end, local lawmakers in our states have the freedom to represent constituents rather than spend their days fundraising for their next campaign. Small donors and grass-roots activists have a fair say in the electoral process.

Last month, we stood with Sens. Arlen Specter, Richard Durbin and U.S. Rep. Walter Jones to announce campaign finance reform that would fundamentally change the way congressional campaigns are conducted. The date was March 31 -- 581 days until the next election. It was also the last day of a campaign fundraising reporting period. We knew that many of our colleagues would be spending a good part of their day in a windowless room, working the phones and asking for campaign contributions. At a moment when the nation faces some of the biggest economic challenges of our lifetime, it was discouraging to think that so many members of Congress are forced to devote so much time and energy asking for money from wealthy donors.

The Fair Elections Now Act, which has been in the works for more than a year, takes the big money out of our political system and empowers small donors and average Americans. Our proposal, which would be entirely voluntary, would require candidates for Congress to qualify by raising at least 1,500 small contributions of between $5 and $100 from in-state residents. Once they qualify, they will receive an upfront grant, based on the average costs of winning campaigns in recent elections, for their primary campaigns; and if nominated, another grant for their general election campaign. Candidates will also receive a 4:1 match for in-state contributions. No individual may give more than $100 and that match will stop after a certain spending level is reached.

The Fair Elections Now Act builds on the experiences of states to perfect a system that has cleaned up local elections across the country. In Connecticut and Maine, more than 80 percent of candidates for the state Legislature now participate in a clean-elections system. The clean-elections laws in these states have let lawmakers get back to doing the people's business, tackling big issues such as the economy and the environment without the influence of lobbyists and big donors.

Congresswoman Pingree's daughter, Hannah, ran for a seat in their state's Legislature 10 years after her mother first ran for office and six years after Maine had approved clean-elections legislation. The two races were completely different. Because Hannah didn't have to spend her time on the phone raising money, she was free to knock on doors, talk to voters and gain a deeper understanding of their values and concerns. Hannah went on to become speaker of the Maine House of Representatives and now presides over a legislative body where nearly nine out of 10 members were elected using the Clean Elections system.

Candidates in Connecticut and Maine have a choice, and overwhelmingly they choose the fair-elections system. Instead of spending their time raising money from wealthy donors, these candidates are able to dedicate themselves to the real work of the campaign and to public service. It's better for the candidate, it's better for the voter, and it's better for our democracy.

In both Connecticut and Maine, the number of people involved in the political process rose dramatically. Instead of depending on relatively few wealthy donors, candidates now rely on a wide range of people for the smaller contributions necessary to qualify for public financing.

To bring the change the American people voted for to Washington, we must take the money out of our political system. Voters sent us here to tackle the critical issues our country is facing -- not to spend out time dialing for dollars. In his campaign, President Barack Obama showed the power average Americans can make in an election with small donations and grass-roots support. The bipartisan Fair Elections Now Act gives those small donors an equal say in the electoral process and restores integrity to our campaigns.

Rep. Chellie Pingree, Democrat, represents the 1st Congressional District in Maine. Rep. John Larsen is a Democratic congressman from Connecticut.