Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I will support the motion to proceed to debate on the DISCLOSE Act because I strongly believe that the voice of the people needs to be restored in our elections. In January of this year, in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court reversed long-standing precedent when it held government restrictions on corporate independent expenditures in elections to be unconstitutional in violation of the first amendment. This decision ignored precedent in order to reject laws that have limited the role of corporate money in Federal elections for decades. I believe this decision could severely damage public confidence in our campaign finance system. For years I have worked to maintain the integrity of our elections. I was a cosponsor of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, BCRA, which was a major step toward taking the unseemly race for big bucks out of the campaign system and preserving the American public's right to truth in advertising. However, the decision in Citizens United took us backwards. Before Citizens United, the Federal Election Campaign Act-- FECA--generally prohibited corporations and unions from using their treasury funds to influence federal elections--including political advertising known as express advocacy, which explicitly calls for election or defeat of Federal candidates. To be clear: Corporations were still able to engage in political activities through political action committees, or PACS. This process ensured that shareholders were part of the process.…”