Washington, DC – Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), the lead sponsor of the DISCLOSE Act to address the scourge of dark money in our democracy, cheered forceful remarks by President Joe Biden today urging Republicans to join Democrats in passing the DISCLOSE Act. Whitehouse released the following statement on Biden’s remarks.
“The President delivered a powerful case for passing my DISCLOSE Act and ending the corrupt hold of dark money on our democracy. Anonymous influence over our elections and government has cost Americans dearly, from the full decade of inaction on climate change perpetrated by fossil fuel interests to the sweeping, coordinated assault on voting rights to the takeover of the Supreme Court by special interests. The American people see this corruption and demand action. They see a government that delivers for corporations and megadonors, not them. Today, the President made clear the choice before the Senate: vote for the DISCLOSE Act and clean up this mess, or give aid and comfort to the dark-money forces corrupting our democracy.”
Whitehouse’s DISCLOSE Act (S. 4822) would combat the flood of anonymous special interest spending in American politics. The bill would require organizations spending money in federal elections and judicial nominations to disclose their donors, allowing the American people to see who is spending big to influence their votes and gain control over their government.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has filed cloture on the bill, setting up a vote by the full Senate on Wednesday or Thursday. The vote comes after a July hearing on the DISCLOSE Act in the Senate Rules Committee. Leader Schumer first introduced the DISCLOSE Act in the wake of the disastrous Citizens United decision in 2010, and Whitehouse has introduced the legislation in every subsequent Congress.
For more information on the DISCLOSE Act, click here.
Rich Davidson, (202) 228-6291 (press office)
