[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 99 (Tuesday, June 29, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1231]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




DEMOCRACY IS STRENGTHENED BY CASTING LIGHT ON SPENDING IN ELECTIONS ACT

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                               speech of

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 24, 2010

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5175) to 
     amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit 
     foreign influence in Federal elections, to prohibit 
     government contractors from making expenditures with respect 
     to such elections, and to establish additional disclosure 
     requirements with respect to spending in such elections, and 
     for other purposes:

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 5175, and 
strongly believe that the legislation is vital to our democracy.
  While I believe that personal speech should be protected by the First 
Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, I feel that corporate speech was 
never meant to be protected and extending Constitutional safeguards to 
it is corrosive to our democracy. By providing unprecedented 
transparency, H.R. 5175 goes a long way to hold corporations who 
participate in U.S. elections accountable to the American people.
  At its core, H.R. 5175 protects the constitutional right of voters to 
know the identity of the organizations spending money to influence 
their elections and the sources of the money they are spending.
  Without the establishment of strong new disclosure rules, the Supreme 
Court's decision in Citizens United v. FEC will give corporations 
incredible power to influence elections. That is why I believe that 
H.R. 5175 is necessary to ensure that people know who is trying to 
influence our country's elections.
  I also believe that this legislation prevents those who should not 
interfere in our elections, such as corporations controlled by foreign 
interests, from doing so.
  This legislation strikes the appropriate balance and I urge my 
colleagues to support this important measure.

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