[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9241]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        McCONNELL AND DISCLOSURE

  (Mr. YARMUTH asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. YARMUTH. Madam Speaker, in 2003, the current Senate minority 
leader told NPR:

       Money is essential in politics, and not something that we 
     should feel squeamish about--provided the donations are 
     limited and disclosed, everyone knows who's supporting 
     everyone else.

  I agree with that version of Senator McConnell. But there's a new 
version who revealed last week that he doesn't think that we should 
know who's buying our democracy, and he compared this administration's 
opposition to unlimited anonymous campaign contributions to the Nixon 
administration. I understand why Nixon came to mind, but I think the 
Senator is projecting here. After all, he now believes anonymous donors 
using secret money should be able to influence elections, all out of 
public view. Nixon wrote that playbook.
  Anonymity allows people in campaigns to distort the truth at best, or 
to lie outright, with no chance of being held accountable. If you 
oppose disclosure of campaign financiers, you're endorsing dishonest 
campaigns.
  Madam Speaker, the voters have a right to judge the credibility of 
campaign ads, and that is simply impossible without disclosure of those 
who are influencing our elections.

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