Arlen Specter: “With all due respect, the issue isn't whether it has been made public, the issue is whether it is in existence, and the…”

“With all due respect, the issue isn't whether it has been made public, the issue is whether it is in existence, and the issue beyond being in existence is whether it is available to Members who have to vote on the bill. So when the Senator from Illinois asserts that you don't know who is making contributions, it is simply not so. The issue of confidentiality is true. It has been raised by the companies because they are concerned that if it is disclosed how much they have contributed or are proposing to contribute that they may be targets for more litigation. I don't wish to interrupt the Senator from Illinois further. I simply wish to make the point that he is wrong when he says we don't know who is going to contribute the money, and his own staffer has taken a look at the list.”