On the recordJuly 18, 2012
Madam Speaker, twice this week, Senate Republicans blocked a vote on the DISCLOSE Act, which would shine a much-needed light on the dark corners of secret, anonymous political spending. The bill stands on a simple idea: Voters have a right to know who is trying to influence their votes. This year alone, more than 600 super PACs have spent $133 million on outside ads--most of which have been negative and, many, dishonest. It's much easier to lie about a candidate when you're anonymous--and when you can't be held accountable. The American people see the damage being done. More than three- quarters of voters believe financial campaign reform is a key national issue, and the vast majority of Americans oppose the Citizens United decision, which opened the floodgates for outside spending and dishonesty in elections. But even in the Citizens United decision, the Supreme Court anticipated that Congress would require disclosure as a critical means of providing transparency in campaigns. Madam Speaker, the voters have a right to judge the credibility of campaign ads, and they can't do that without disclosure of those who are paying for them. ____________________
