[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9465]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              DISCLOSE ACT

  (Mrs. DAVIS of California asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Madam Speaker, Justice Brandeis said that 
sunlight is the best disinfectant. Sadly, in Citizens United, the 
Roberts' Court has turned its back on this wisdom, and it has given 
corporations the power to influence our government from the shadows.
  To say that these are not dark days for our democracy is not an 
understatement. Millions upon millions of dollars are flowing into our 
political system through super PACs, but the identities of the donors 
who supply this money remain hidden.
  Let's not fool ourselves. Let's not fool ourselves into thinking that 
the identities of these donors are a secret to the politicians whose 
campaigns are being helped by their money. To ignore the potential for 
unseemly influence here is truly naive. When one donor can decide the 
fate of a legislator's reelection, they clearly wield a great deal of 
power.
  We should come together to pass the DISCLOSE Act, which allows the 
public to see who is making these mega-donations, and together we can 
let sunlight back into our democracy.

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