Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) slammed Senate Republicans’ unified refusal today to advance the DISCLOSE Act, Whitehouse’s bill to shine a light on the big special interests spending unlimited sums to purchase influence over the American government. The cloture vote failed 49-49. The measure needed 60 votes to advance. All Senate Republicans in attendance voted against the bill, while all members of the Democratic Caucus in attendance voted for it.
“Today, Senate Republicans stood in lockstep with their megadonors and secretive special interests to protect the most corrupting force in American politics—dark money,” said Whitehouse, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “The American people are fed up with dark money influence campaigns that rig their government against them and stymie their priorities. The DISCLOSE Act would shine a light on special interest spending to neutralize its toxic effect, giving Americans’ voices a chance to be heard. Republicans heeded the wishes of dark money donors today, but the fight to pass this bill isn’t over.”
In forceful remarks at the White House on Tuesday, President Joe Biden pressed Senate Republicans to support the DISCLOSE Act.
“Let’s remember: Getting dark money out of our politics has been a bipartisan issue in the past. My deceased friend, John McCain, spent a lot of time fighting for campaign finance reform. For him, it was a matter of fundamental fairness. And he was 100 percent right about that,” said President Biden. “Ultimately, this comes down to public trust. Dark money erodes public trust. We need to protect public trust.”
The DISCLOSE Act requires organizations spending money in elections – including super PACs and 501(c)(4) dark money groups – to promptly disclose donors who have given $10,000 or more during an election cycle. In addition to election disclosure requirements, the bill requires groups that spend money on ads supporting or opposing judicial nominees to disclose their donors.
5 Comments
bobknight33Why be upset about this? Both sides are corrupt. All know this.
Both sides act self righteous till a vote is placed. This shit happens all to often. The "other side" often puts to vote just to get the hatch video compilation . Today Rebs have egg on their face. Next cycle Rubs will set the trap for dems and they will get egg on their face.
The only fix is to get all public $ out of elections and just use Tax $ at a set amount. No 3 party vids or such just from candidates.
newtboyReally?! Just like all knew Jan 6 was ANTIFA, like everyone knows Trump won and Democrats cheated to the tune of tens of millions of votes, but perfectly with zero traces, like everyone knows Covid is just a cold and won’t last 3 months? It’s true, both sides have corruption, but one side punishes and ostracizes those in their camp caught being corrupt, one side makes corruption their party platform and celebrates their members caught flagrantly violating ethics and finance rules, gladly donating towards paying their fines and shielding them from most consequences.
Point to the time Republicans put forth a serious bill to remove dark money that Democrats said no. I don’t think you can, nor can you deny Republicans just voted FOR corruption in government…and not for the first time….you just need to make up fake and false equivalents to pretend blatant Republican corruption is normal.
I’ll point you to Citizens United, the main cause of dark money in politics today, which started as an anti Clinton Republican movie that filed suit and appealed up to the conservative Supreme Court to allow corporations to spend essentially unlimited amounts in secret on political advertising and campaigns (because their “movie” was clearly a political advertisement with secret backers), or to say it plainly, they sued to legalize corporate bribery and conservatives loved it.
Again, point to some “egg on their face” instances that were Democrats fighting for dark money and Republicans trying to ban it, I can point to many times Democrats tried to ban it and Republicans blocked all efforts.
Republicans won’t even limit dark money, and can’t compete on equal funding so refuse to consider getting rid of it.
If you want bribery to be illegal, vote blue.
If you want freedoms beyond just what’s church approved (like in Iran), vote blue.
If you want ethics in government, vote blue.
If you want to fund border control better instead of using its lack of funding as a political ploy knowing your constituents are too dumb to see who caused the surge, vote blue.*
If you want publicly funded campaigns, vote blue.
*https://rollcall.com/2022/04/27/senate-republicans-balk-on-funds-related-to-bidens-border-move/
Why be upset about this? Both sides are corrupt. All know this.
Both sides act self righteous till a vote is placed. This shit happens all to often. The "other side" often puts to vote just to get the hatch video compilation . Today Rebs have egg on their face. Next cycle Rubs will set the trap for dems and they will get egg on their face.
The only fix is to get all public $ out of elections and just use Tax $ at a set amount. No 3 party vids or such just from candidates.
luxintenebrisbob & i are on the same page.
hanging w/good company can save souls * * *
not the 'all are corrupt' twang but agree on dark money - or big money. it needs to be culled to foster irreproachability in our government halls.
not sure how to do this, but bet the Red & Blue could come up w/a purple solution (if the Red aren't so f'n' far gone). would also like all the insider trading to be nixed. for the good of all of us/the US.
go w/Truman's belief: “honest public servant can’t become rich in politics.” like to believe most go w/good intentions 'tho noxious weeds grow in unattended gardens - & parking lots.
("Fifth Risk" is a good read on the subject.)
* * * did 33 offer up tax funding for social good? we are having a good effect on him
siftbotMoving this video to newtboy's personal queue. It failed to receive enough votes to get sifted up to the front page within 2 days.
newtboyFreudian slips?
Calling the Republicans “Rebs” is just too on the nose to be intentional, as is calling them rubes (even if misspelled).
It is shocking to hear you support federally funded campaigns…we actually agree on that point. Unfortunately all Republican representatives vehemently disagree. If you want that, vote blue.
Side note: that is getting PRIVATE money out of elections and PUBLICLY funding them….not getting public money out. Public money is the government, private money is the Koch bros or Soros.
Today Rebs have egg on their face. Next cycle Rub[e]s will set the trap for dems and they will get egg on their face.
The only fix is to get all public $ out of elections and just use Tax $ at a set amount. No 3 party vids or such just from candidates.
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