DeLauro Votes for More Transparency in Campaigns House of Representatives Passed DISCLOSE Act Today

Press Release

Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-03) voted today for the DISCLOSE Act, a bipartisan measure that will shed light on federal campaign advertisements and spending by special interests.

The DISCLOSE Act will require that corporations, organizations, and special interest groups, including those owned by Wall Street, oil companies, and foreign governments, reveal their involvement in advertisements and what their political expenditures are. It will also prevent organizations that receive taxpayer money, such as government contractors, from using that money to engage in campaigns. Through these measures, the bipartisan DISCLOSE Act will prevent big corporations from drowning out the voices of the American people in elections.

"This landmark legislation is a direct response to the Supreme Court's overreaching and irresponsible decision in the Citizens United case earlier this year, which opened the floodgates to a blatant corporate takeover of our electoral system. It overturned decades of precedent, undermines democracy, and gives more power to the already powerful. Congress acted quickly to rectify this egregious decision, working on the DISCLOSE Act to restore transparency and accountability to our campaigns.

"The DISCLOSE Act institutes common-sense rules that put Americans, not special interests, at the center of our democracy. These are common-sense changes to the current campaign system, and will help to shed light on campaign spending and special interests. This bill takes the power from corporations and gives it back to the American people, where it rightfully belongs. Our elections are a central part of our democracy, and this bill will ensure our citizens will be able to make their voices heard and votes counted."

The DISCLOSE Act is supported by the campaign finance reform community, Common Cause, League of Women Voters, Public Citizen, Campaign Legal Center, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), and Democracy 21, among many other organizations.

Source