On the recordMarch 26, 2015
I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.'' Respectfully, I think we have some skepticism about this proposal, and I want to remind my colleagues this issue was decided by the Supreme Court over 5 years ago. The Citizens United case has nothing to do with corporate-union contributions to campaigns. Those prohibitions remain in place, and the Supreme Court decision reversed what for-profit and not-for-profit corporations can say in elections. The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act bans election-related expenditures and communications by American corporations. Proposals like this amendment are not designed to ensure transparency and civility of elections. They are, as Justice Thomas's concurring opinion in Citizens United correctly described, ``specifically calculated to curtail campaign- related activities and prevent the lawful, peaceful exercise of First Amendment rights.''
