[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11573]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1230
                         THE BUYING OF AMERICA

  (Ms. HANABUSA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. HANABUSA. Madam Speaker, when the Supreme Court decided Citizens 
United, it opened the floodgates to special interests. This country is 
faced, for the first time, with a small number influencing our 
elections, something that we've never experienced before. Let us all 
remember that it is our elections and our right to vote which makes us 
the great nation that we are. It is what people have gone to war for 
and died for.
  But now we're seeing the buying of America. We have been told that 
about 600 super PACs have raised over $240 million, and they've already 
spent over $113 million on our elections. We do know that the 
Republican donors are famous brothers, and they, with their friends, 
have spent about $400 million in the upcoming election. And we also 
know that there's a Republican donor casino owner who has already spent 
$71 million to affect our elections.
  We can't prohibit the spending, but we can require transparency so 
that the public knows who is spending this money. This is the DISCLOSE 
Act. But, Madam Speaker, Republicans have stopped the vote on the 
DISCLOSE Act. The Democrats have signed the discharge petition to bring 
it up to vote. We must bring it up to vote, Madam Speaker. We must show 
the people that America is not for sale.

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