[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 9428-9429]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  PUT LIMITS ON CORPORATIONS' ABILITY TO INFLUENCE AMERICAN ELECTIONS

  (Mr. YARMUTH asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, when the Supreme Court handed down a 
decision in the Citizens United case, which allowed corporations, 
including foreign corporations, to spend money to advocate candidates 
in American elections, many people might have thought this was an 
abstract threat. But the events of the last month probably should 
convince them otherwise.
  Last year, BP Oil made $14 billion in profit. If they took one-tenth 
of that profit, $1.4 billion, they could spend $3 million in every 
congressional district for every election. It might be less expensive 
for them to buy Congress than it would be to pay the damages that they 
have done to this country.
  You know, in Kentucky, we have a candidate, Rand Paul, who is running 
for the Senate. He said President

[[Page 9429]]

Obama was being un-American when he said he wanted to keep his foot on 
the throat of BP Oil. Do you think Rand Paul might be getting some 
campaign expenditures from BP this year?
  The damage that BP Oil has done to our country is not nearly as great 
as the damage which the Citizens United case could do to our democracy. 
We need to pass the DISCLOSE Act and put limits on corporations' 
ability to influence American elections.

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