Companion bills introduced in the Senate and House by Senator Whitehouse (D-RI) and Congressman Cicilline (D-RI)
End Citizens United (ECU) President Tiffany Muller released the following statement praising the introduction of the 2019 DISCLOSE Act:
“It’s no secret that our campaign finance system is broken and in desperate need of reform. Special interests and billionaire-funded super PACs have a stranglehold on our democracy–and it’s kicking everyday Americans out of the political process.
“The DISCLOSE Act will shine a bright light on the flood of dark money in our elections. It will address serious vulnerabilities in the system that currently allows foreign actors and big corporations to flood the airwaves and influence elections without any accountability. This legislation is a crucial step towards strengthening our democracy and putting the power back in the hands of the people.
“End Citizens United fully supports the DISCLOSE Act and thanks Congressman Cicilline and Senator Whitehouse for their continued leadership. We’ll continue to mobilize our grassroots members to help get the bill passed into law.”
A summary of each provision in the 2019 DISCLOSE Act:
Stand by Your Ad:
Requires corporations and other organizations running and funding political ads to identify that they approve of their ads.
Foreign Money:
Prohibits domestic corporations with significant foreign ownership or control from contributing or spending money in U.S. elections.
Disclosure Provisions:
Requires organizations that spend money to influence elections – including super PACs and dark money groups – to disclose the identities of donors who have given them $10,000 or more during an election cycle. It would also require an organization that spends $10,000 or more on political ads to file a disclosure report with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) within 24 hours of purchasing the ads.
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