[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 16113]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            THE DISCLOSE ACT

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, the debate this morning will be related to 
the Citizens United case. That is the case where the Supreme Court 
changed more than 100 years of precedent in the United States, which in 
the past had totally prevented corporations from being involved in 
Federal elections. The Supreme Court stood that rule on its head and 
denied stare decisis, which certainly surprised nearly everyone. They 
became involved, it appears, in the political process by a 5-to-4 
majority, now allowing corporations, including corporations that have 
foreign interests, to become involved in our process. They really have 
opened the door. We have these nameless, faceless individuals spending 
huge amounts of money--corporate money and other money--where there is 
certainly no transparency whatsoever. These ads are being run on 
television and radio around the country. No one knows where the money 
comes from, how much it is. In fact, I repeat, there is no 
transparency. That is what the debate is about today. We have had a 
vote on this once before. I have the right to call it up again, and I 
will do so at the appropriate time, but it is important that the 
American people know how outrageous the Supreme Court's decision was.
  Would the Chair now announce morning business.

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