Xavier Becerra: “I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I think the best way to describe this bill is to call it the ``prevent…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I think the best way to describe this bill is to call it the ``prevent secret money from disclosure act,'' because that is what we are really talking about. What matters today to most Americans? If you talk to folks back home or on the street, they will tell you: Are you working on making sure the private sector is creating jobs? Does this bill help create jobs? No. They will say: Then at least make sure, if I am paying taxes, you are using them the right way. Does this bill help taxpayers save money? No. So why are we doing this? You are hearing folks talk about the Constitution. The Constitution doesn't guarantee campaign donors get special tax treatment or protections. The First Amendment protects speech, not secret contributions. So what is the problem? The problem is that the IRS has finally figured out that a whole bunch of folks are funneling a lot of dark, secret money into organizations that under the Tax Code are permitted and that they are using this to influence our American campaigns. We have no idea who is making these contributions of millions of dollars--secret dollars--to influence campaigns here in America. Is it foreign governments giving these millions of dollars? We don't know. Is it money launderers trying to influence elections? We don't know.…”