ATLANTA — The Democratic National Committee tabled a resolution Saturday that called on the party to reinstate a ban on corporate donations and on federal corporate lobbyists from serving as at-large members of the DNC.

Christine Pelosi, daughter of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, put forward the proposal to revive a ban that President Obama put into place as part of his vow to “change how Washington works” after he won the White House in 2008.

The issue sparked a fiery public debate here over whether blacklisting certain donors would knee-cap the party’s rebuilding efforts or whether it is more important to let good-government groups and voters know that the party is worried about the influence of money in politics.

“This resolution provides us an important opportunity to send a message to the people of this country as to our values,” said Stuart Appelbaum, a DNC member from New York who co-sponsored the resolution. “It is not something new. We operated this way for seven years.”

Supporters said it is a lack of vision, not a lack of money, that is to blame for the recent electoral setbacks. They urged members to restore the ban that President Obama ushered in after his election in 2008, complaining that former DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz unilaterally lifted the ban without any say from members.

Activists in the crowd chanted “Money out of politics! Money out of politics!”

But Bob Mulholland, a DNC member from California, reminded Committee members and activists that gathered for the winter meeting that the GOP now controls the White House, as well as both chambers of Congress. “I am not a member of Mother Teresa’s sisters’ organization. I am a member of the Democratic Party,” he said.

“Our federal laws allow Westin Hotel to contribute to us, allow Microsoft, allow Google, and all those corporation in North Carolina that stood up for the Democratic Party platform against the law there that tried to outlaw and discriminate against transgender [individuals],” Mr. Mulholland said. “Why should the Democratic party say now, ‘Hey great what you did, but we are not going to take your contributions.”

Others said state parties are depleted and need that money.

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