Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has introduced a new version of the DISCLOSE Act, a bill to subvert the Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.
“The cosmetic surgery Sen. Schumer has performed on the DISCLOSE Act has it looking just as ugly,” said Center for Competitive Politics Chairman Bradley A. Smith, a former Federal Election Commission Chairman. “It contains the same backroom deals for labor unions and large interests such as the National Rifle Association. Senators should filibuster this modern day Sedition Act.”
This bill has been placed on the Senate Calendar and, according to Capitol Hill sources, majority Democrats will try to rush this legislation through without hearings or meaningful debate. DISCLOSE could be on the Senate floor as soon as next week.
“The American people deserve hearings and robust debate on a 116-page bill designed to rewrite campaign finance laws in the midst of a midterm campaign,” said CCP President Sean Parnell. “This effort to ram a bill of speech prohibitions and regulations through under the banner of disclosure is disingenuous and tramples on the plain meaning of the First Amendment.”
The new version of DISCLOSE, S. 3628, appears to contain a new set of “findings” and other tweaks of the House-passed version of the DISCLOSE Act, H.R. 5175. CCP is still analyzing the bill and will post a more detailed analysis shortly. CCP has released a 19-page, section-by-section analysis of the House version of the DISCLOSE Act as well as a two-page backgrounder.
Earlier this week, the CCP explained the four DISCLOSE provisions that advantage labor unions over business groups. CCP also refuted Schumer’s claim that DISCLOSE is merely about providing transparency, noting the many outright prohibitions included in the legislation.
The Center for Competitive Politics is a nonpartisan, nonprofit group dedicated to protecting First Amendment political rights. CCP seeks to promote the political marketplace of ideas through research, litigation and advocacy.
