‘DISCLOSE’ Act would trace big contributions

Legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate would blunt the impact of the Supreme Court’s recent grotesque ruling that a corporation is a human being with a First Amendment right to flood political campaigns with cash.

The “DISCLOSE Act,” an acronym for the “Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections” Act, would partly restore a decades-old law banning political expenditures by corporate interests.

The Supreme Court, in a January 5-4 decision in the Citizens United case, overturned the old law, opening the way to unlimited special interest contributions in political campaigns. The DISCLOSE Act would bar foreign-controlled corporations, government contractors, and companies that have received government assistance from making such contributions.

It would also require corporations, unions and other organizations that contribute to political campaigns to disclose their donors and to stand by their ads.

“Our bill will follow the money,” said Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), one of the four Senate sponsors. “When corporations try to mask their activities through shadow groups, we drill down so that the ultimate funder of the expenditure is exposed.

“If we don‘t act quickly to confront this ruling, we will have let the Supreme Court pre-detcrmine the outcome of next November’s elections. It won’t be Republicans or Democrats; it will be corporate America and other special interests,” Schumer said.

Back to Home