Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, is the author of "The Fight to Vote." The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own; view more opinion at CNN.

(CNN) US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's withering viral takedown of just how easily deep-pocketed donors dominate politics was like watching a prosecutor lay into a campaign finance system that has no defense.

Michael Waldman

So far, that exchange (during a hearing on House Democrats' sweeping democracy reform bill) has garnered an astounding 38 million views. It's not hard to see why. But what the viral video leaves out is that the reform bill includes a solution to curb the power of big money in politics: a voluntary public financing system for congressional races.

Here's how it would work. Small contributions would receive public matching funds, at a ratio of 6-to-1. If you give a candidate $100, for example, that becomes $700. Participating candidates would agree to curb the size of contributions they receive. They could now fund their races by amassing small contributions, rather than those from big donors and special interests. This shift could transform politics and policymaking.