Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement below today after Senate Republicans blocked debate on the DISCLOSE Act, a bill to end secret spending in elections by corporations and other groups:
“I’m disappointed that so many of my Republican colleagues, many of whom have clearly supported disclosure in the past, chose today to defend secret spending by special interests rather than stand up for the voices of the middle class. However, as I have said before, we can’t let the special interests off the hook after just one round, and I look forward to joining my Democratic colleagues who want to continue debating this issue well into the night. The Majority Leader has made a motion to reconsider this vote, and I am hopeful that in the very near future we will do so. In the meantime, I encourage all Americans to make their voices heard in this debate, and I hope my Republican colleagues will join us to put an end to secret election spending.”
The vote failed to overcome a filibuster by a vote of 51 in favor to 44 against. 60 votes were required.
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