[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 99 (Tuesday, June 24, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3941-S3942]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. WHITEHOUSE (for himself, Mr. Leahy, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. 
        Bennet, Mr. King, Mr. Udall of New Mexico, Mr. Franken, Mr. 
        Schumer, Mrs. Hagan, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Reed, Mrs. Gillibrand, 
        Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Brown, Ms. Klobuchar, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Markey, 
        Mr. Johnson of South Dakota, Mr. Tester, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. 
        Nelson, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Casey, Mr. Rockefeller, Mrs. McCaskill, 
        Mr. Sanders, Ms. Warren, Mrs. Feinstein, Mrs. Murray, Mr. 
        Durbin, Mr. Coons, Mr. Udall of Colorado, Mr. Menendez, Mr. 
        Begich, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Warner, Mr. Walsh, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. 
        Heinrich, Mr. Carper, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Reid, Mr. 
        Merkley, Ms. Heitkamp, Mr. Manchin, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Booker, Ms. 
        Cantwell, Mr. Levin, and Ms. Landrieu):
  S. 2516. A bill to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to 
provide for additional disclosure requirements for corporations, labor 
organizations, Super PACs and other entities, and for other purposes; 
to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today, I join with several Democratic 
Senators to reintroduce the DISCLOSE Act, renewing--for the third 
time--our fight to curtail some of the worst abuses resulting from the 
Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United. Republicans mounted 
filibusters of this commonsense bill when it was first introduced in 
2010 and then again when it was reintroduced in 2012. This was the case 
even though Republicans claim to support disclosure.
  Earlier this month, I chaired a hearing on a proposed constitutional 
amendment to repair the damage done by Citizens United and a series of 
other flawed Supreme Court decisions that have eviscerated our campaign 
finance laws. At this hearing, even Floyd Abrams, the noted First 
Amendment attorney who testified against the proposed amendment argued 
that he supported greater disclosure. And yet, Republicans have already 
filibustered this bill twice and are likely to continue filibustering 
it. I am hoping that Republicans have come to their senses after seeing 
how Citizens United has allowed unlimited, undisclosed money to pollute 
our elections.
  Since that decision, our elections have been defined by corporations 
and billionaires spending vast amounts of secret money to influence 
elections. In the 2012 election cycle, spending from undisclosed 
sources exceeded $310 million, a massive increase from the $69 million 
from undisclosed sources in the previous presidential election cycle in 
2008. And this number will only increase. No one doubts that.
  While states like Vermont and Congress continue their heavy lift of 
passing a constitutional amendment to address the flawed Supreme Court 
decisions that have gutted our campaign finance laws, the Senate can 
take more immediate action today. By passing the DISCLOSE Act, we can 
restore transparency and accountability to campaign finance laws by 
ensuring that all Americans know who is paying for campaign ads. This 
is a crucial step toward restoring the ability of Vermonters and all 
American voters to be able to speak, be heard and to hear competing 
voices, and not be drowned out by powerful corporate interests.
  We know disclosure laws can work because they do work for individual 
Americans donating directly to political campaigns. When you or I give 
money directly to a political candidate, our donation is not hidden. It 
is publicly disclosed. Yet those who oppose the DISCLOSE Act are 
standing up for special rights for corporations and wealthy donors that 
you and I do not have.
  Recently, the Washington Post documented a trend whereby politically 
active organizations manipulate and use

[[Page S3942]]

their tax-exempt status to keep its donor lists private even though 
these organizations are pouring millions of dollars of undisclosed 
money into our elections. The increase of secret money can only harm 
our political process. The DISCLOSE Act would fix this problem. This 
bill would require any organization spending money on political ads, 
including 501(c)(4)s and Super PACs, to disclose donors who had given 
$10,000 or more. This is a commonsense transparency measure that 
everyone should be willing to support.
  When the race is on for secret money and election campaigns are won 
or lost by who can collect the largest amount of unaccountable, secret 
donations, it puts at risk government of, by and for the people. In a 
democracy, our ballots should be secret not massive corporate campaign 
contributions. Disclosure of who is paying for election ads should not 
be kept secret from the public.
  Vermont is a small state. It would not take more than a tiny fraction 
of the corporate money flooding the airwaves in other states to 
outspend all of our local candidates combined. I know that the people 
of Vermont, like all Americans, take seriously their civic duty to 
choose wisely on Election Day. Like all Vermonters, I cherish the 
voters' role in the democratic process and am a staunch believer in the 
First Amendment. The rights of Vermonters and all Americans to speak to 
each other and to be heard should not be undercut by corporate 
spending.
  I hope that Republicans who have seen the impact of waves of 
unaccountable corporate campaign spending will join us to take up this 
important legislation. I hope Republican Senators will let us vote on 
the DISCLOSE Act and help us take an important step to ensure the 
ability of every American to be heard and to be able to meaningfully 
participate in free and fair elections.
                                 ______