Holman
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives took the first bold step in repairing some of the damage caused by the U.S. Supreme Court’s disastrous decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. Public Citizen applauds the passage of the DISCLOSE Act (H.R. 5175) by a 219 to 206 vote. Two Republican members of Congress – Reps. Michael Castle (Del.) and Walter Jones (N.C.) Anh “Joseph” Cao (La.) – stood firm on their principles of promoting transparency in elections and joined in leadership with Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) in pressing for adoption of the measure.
When five justices of the Supreme Court decided unilaterally to rewrite the nation’s campaign finance laws and allow unlimited corporate spending in elections, it became imperative for Congress, at least as a first step, to give voters a chance to know who is paying how much to promote or attack candidates. The DISCLOSE Act, which stands for Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections, provides voters the desperately needed means to decipher campaign messages by revealing the true funding sources behind campaign ads. The measure closes the gaping loopholes in current disclosure laws that allow corporations, unions and wealthy individuals to hide their campaign spending by funneling their money through trade associations and innocuous-sounding front groups. Revealing the funders behind these groups is perhaps the most valuable tool voters can use in evaluating the merits of the campaign messages that are about to besiege them.
Congressional leaders carved out a limited exemption to the individual donor disclosure requirement for the Sierra Club, the National Rifle Association and others to get the measure approved by the House. The exemption is troubling and disappointing but does not pose significant damage to the overall objectives of the bill.
Public Citizen urges the Senate to act swiftly and ratify the DISCLOSE Act next week, so an effective transparency regime can be in place for the 2010 elections and beyond.
Its importance not withstanding, the DISCLOSE Act is far from sufficient to remedy the damage from Citizens United. Congress must pass the Shareholder Protection Act (H.R. 4790) to ensure that corporations do not spend shareholder money on elections against their wishes. And it must pass the Fair Elections Now Act (H.R. 1836 1826; S. 751) to ensure that all candidates for office, especially those not benefiting from corporate spending, have a foundation to run viable campaigns.
Ultimately, however, we need a constitutional amendment to rescue our democracy from the unlimited corporate spending authorized by Citizens United.
Craig Holman is the government affairs lobbyist for Public Citizen.
Bullhead
This not the “disclose Act” this is the DESTROy the Constitution” Act!!!!!!!!!!!! What the heck is wrong with this country!! Our Congress REJECTS the Constitution and our President Prases them- Unbelievable!!!!!!!!!
Can’t wait until Nov. to oust them all!!! And 2012 can’t come fast enough!!!
Look our talk radio-you are in their sights
We are losing our liberties and the left appaluds!
Wake up America!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 24, 2010 at 7:45 pm
richard
I agree with Bullhead!! The leftist, liberal, progressive, socialists are and have been destroying this country for far too long now. Holman is the one who doesn’t get it. This is nothing but a union, feminist, and enviro-whacko favoring bill. By the way, the NRA did not ask for this exemption; they were granted it by the spineless, feckless liberals who knew they couldn’t pass the bill if the NRA was opposed to it.
June 24, 2010 at 10:25 pm
thevilemaxim
I love how you guys make a bunch of opinionated claims, which are clearly biased and completely objective, without providing any examples to back up your claims. We’re lucky to have the freedom to speak out minds in a public forum. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to hear a completely different point of view from my own, even if I can’t relate to it. I would really love to hear you make a point that would completely re-construct the my perspective on this issue and compel me to reverse my position. Unfortunately, between the two of you, only one point was made: that liberals were proven once again to be spineless cowards by granting the disclosure exemption to the NRA. Seriously, what do you even think about this issue? What the fuck IS your opinion? All I get is,”This is bad because it was passed by liberals.” I hate “liberals” just as much as you do – though for different reasons – but you “conservatives” don’t do a very good job making your case, you must admit. There is no argument. You just say its bad and call people names. Why is it bad? What exactly is it that “liberals” are doing that is destroying democracy? And are “conservatives” doing anything to hurt democracy?
June 25, 2010 at 5:04 am
thevilemaxim
*objective=subjective
June 25, 2010 at 5:05 am
John R
Woo Hoo ! I was pleased to read this bit of positive news. It gives me hope and I can certainly use a dose of that right now.
Just as in football, which is a “game of inches,” the PEOPLE have the ball at the 25 yard line.
I would strongly advise everyone to start writing letters and calling the representative in your district and both your senators in your state to vote in favor of H.R. 4790, H.R. 1836 and S.751 so we (the PEOPLE) can carry this ball past the 100 yard line.
June 25, 2010 at 6:46 am
John R
Mr. Holman -
There is a typo in your article above.
The House version of the Fair Elections Now Act should be H.R. 1826 (not H.R. 1836).
People who are interested can go to:
http://www.opencongress.org
to track these bills, write their Senators and Congressional Reps, cast personal votes (for or against bills), post comments, see the money trail, watch videos, etc..
Thank you for what you do.
June 25, 2010 at 7:36 am
Lesley Price
I fail to see how the “Disclose Act” and/or the HR 1826 has any negative effect or impact on our constitution! How is having more information about source of campaign funding (sunshining) destroying our country? How is it that you liberal haters are blind to the fact this wasn’t just a liberal bill – that Republicans were also involved? Or did we read different articles?
I totally agree with “thevilmaxim” post; just screaming about everything the “liberals” do is an attack on our constitution turns off more folks than garners support for your warped position.
John R., thank you for providing link to more information; oh, but that’s right more information appears to be another attack (from the liberals) on our country & constitution!
June 25, 2010 at 8:44 am
David Weller
May I ask that you delete offensive comments? Thanks
June 25, 2010 at 6:55 pm
John R
David Weller wrote:
“May I ask that you delete offensive comments? Thanks”
I’m sure that Public Citizen would consider doing such a thing as soon as you give them the guidelines to clearly define when something becomes offensive to ALL people.
Personally, I didn’t agree with a couple comments made here, but I found none of them particularly offensive. Apparently, you did.
So – just where is that shadowy line when something turns from being inoffensive to everyone to offensive everyone ?
We await your answer.
June 25, 2010 at 9:34 pm
Daniel
While the DISCLOSE Act has the pretext of openness and transparency, it ultimately undermines the First Amendment and severely limits the ability of small, grassroots political groups to operate. Liberty minded individuals would do well to contact their local representatives and ask them to vote against it.
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=37070
July 21, 2010 at 6:51 pm
Alamo
Unlimited campaign funding has the potential to destroy American democracy pure and simple.
The energy industry has poured 2.4 billion dollars into congressional lobbying efforts since 2000. Whose interests are they lobbying for? America’s or theirs? You know that answer and it is not about to change unless we Americans unite in opposition and demand a Constitutional Amendment limiting campaign funding. If we do not you can kiss this nation good bye.
July 26, 2010 at 9:57 pm
etmisis
why do the trolls bother spewing hate on liberal sites? before the elections yesterday, i asked 2 republican friends to explain to me why their candidate (or stance on california propositions) would be better for the state. one person changed the subject, the other made a comment about having to be liberal to live here. neither gave me any sort of logical reason for their beliefs. this is a little too close to limbaugh’s ‘ditto’. really, are there no concrete examples of why you think liberals are destroying the country? how easily we forget that the reason for the deficit is the war, which was begun on republican’s watch.
look: bush had 8 years to drive this country 6 feet under. obama’s had 2, with an embarrassingly stubborn congress, to dig us out.
imho this country is already putty in the hands of the corporations. look what it’s done to us. tax cuts for sending jobs overseas? i don’t understand. i understand that corporate reality only takes into account their own bottom line. what i don’t understand is why people want this?
so, thevilemaxim, i *think* conservatives want to privatize everything. reduce government regulations. what does this do to destroy our country? one not need look beyond the banking crisis. or the oil spill. that was pretty destructive—we don’t even know to what extent yet.
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