Today, Democratic Members of Congress announced details of the DISCLOSE Act, new bipartisan legislation that will address many of the campaign-finance problems raised by the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. The DISCLOSE Act will require corporations and organizations to disclose their role in political ads, as well as the donors whose contributions helped to make those corporate ads possible. President Obama hailed the legislative proposals this morning, saying:
“Powerful special interests and their lobbyists should not be able to drown out the voices of the American people. Yet they work ceaselessly toward that goal: they claim the protection of the Constitution in extending this power, and they exploit every loophole in the law to escape limits on their activities…I have long believed that sunlight is the best disinfectant, and this legislation will shine an unprecedented light on corporate spending in political campaigns. This bill will also prohibit foreign entities from manipulating the outcomes of American elections and help close other special interest loopholes. I hope that Congress will give this legislation the swift consideration it deserves, which is especially urgent now in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. Passing the legislation is a critical step in restoring our government to its rightful owners: the American people.”
DNC Chairman Tim Kaine was supportive of the bill, saying:
“The Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling has given big corporations and their lobbyists the opportunity to unduly influence political campaigns for their own benefit, without requiring those corporations to take responsibility or be held accountable for their political speech. The DISCLOSE Act tackles those problems head-on by closing campaign finance loopholes that special interests can exploit…I would like to commend Democrats in Congress for their swift efforts to address the issues raised by the Citizens United decision before this fall’s critical elections. And I call on Republicans in Congress to join with Democrats in passing the DISCLOSE Act to restore a more transparent system in which ordinary voters and candidates—not just corporations—can be heard.”