[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 151 (Tuesday, September 20, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S4831]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              DISCLOSE Act

  Mr. President, now on the DISCLOSE Act. Later today, President Biden 
will deliver remarks on one of the gravest dangers undermining our 
democracy--the power of dark money that has taken over our elections.
  I expect the President's remarks will preview action here in the 
Senate, where we will have a vote this week to begin debate on the 
DISCLOSE Act--a bill I long promised to bring to the floor. My 
colleagues, led by the indefatigable and relentless and brilliant 
Senator Whitehouse, have done a wonderful job championing this issue 
for years.
  The DISCLOSE Act is very simple to grasp: it would require super PACs 
and other dark money groups to report anyone contributing $10,000 or 
more during an election cycle. The same goes for any group spending any 
money in support of or in opposition to judicial nominees. In other 
words, it would require similar forms of transparency that traditional 
campaigns and candidates already face. We have to disclose when 
accepting political contributions.
  And, frankly, why shouldn't this be law? What reason under Heaven is 
there for keeping massive political contributions hidden from the 
public? Even the Republican leader, who has dedicated much of his 
career, unfortunately, to killing many campaign finance reforms, 
claimed in the past to support increased disclosure; though, sadly, he 
is opposed to our bill today for no good reason. If you are for 
disclosure, you should be for our bill, and these flimsy arguments that 
it will deter people from giving are absurd--absurd.
  If a multimillionaire wants to spend colossal sums on candidates or 
nominees who are deeply anti-choice or who will support anti-democracy 
candidates or who will harbor views deeply in conflict with the views 
of the general public, shouldn't the public have at least the right to 
know it?
  The rights of voters and the health of our democracy far outweigh any 
interest that a multibillionaire could have in concealing political 
spending from public scrutiny.
  So, the DISCLOSE Act will give every Senator a choice: a vote to 
bring transparency to our elections or stand with the forces of dark 
money.
  Let me say that again. The DISCLOSE Act will give every Senator a 
choice: vote to bring transparency to our elections, remove the veil 
from this dark money that the public hates that is cascading into our 
elections or stand on the side of dark money. Who wants to be on that 
side? We will see this week.
  I want to take a moment to thank my colleague, Senator Whitehouse, 
for his incredible work in championing this legislation. He is arguably 
the Senate's greatest champion in the fight against dark money, someone 
who has dedicated years to uncovering the pernicious links between dark 
money groups and radical judicial nominees.
  Do you want to know one of the main reasons we have a ``MAGA'' Court 
that overturns Roe v. Wade, that stands in the way of smart gun control 
laws and gun safety laws, that stands in the way of environmental 
progress? It is because of dark money, in good part--dark money.
  Sheldon Whitehouse has exposed this link better than anyone I know. 
He has gotten the rest of us to pay attention in a deeper way to the 
gravity of this issue. He will come to the floor later today and 
throughout the week to continue highlighting this issue. And I know 
others will be joining to stand by his side.
  I thank him for his work. I thank the President for speaking about it 
this afternoon. And I stand with Senator Whitehouse in highlighting 
this issue ahead of the vote, and I urge my colleagues to support the 
DISCLOSE Act.