NEWS FROM THE FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC PARTY
For Immediate Release: July 27, 2010
Thurman Statement on Republican Obstruction of the DISCLOSE Act
Today, Republicans in the Senate blocked Democratic efforts to move forward with the DISCLOSE Act, bipartisan legislation intended to close new campaign-finance loopholes created by the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling and ensure fair and open elections.  The DISCLOSE Act, which despite Republican obstruction has already passed the House, requires corporations and organizations to disclose their role in political ads, as well as to disclose the names of donors whose contributions helped to make those ads possible.  Following the vote in the Senate, Florida Democratic Party Chair Karen Thurman issued the following statement:
“Today, Republicans in the Senate lengthened the list of common-sense legislation that they have obstructed on behalf of their special interest and corporate allies.  Just this year alone, Republicans tried to block Wall Street reform on behalf of big banks, they tried to block health insurance reform on behalf of big insurance, and they tried to block efforts by President Obama to address the BP spill on behalf of big oil.  Now, they’re trying to block legislation that would prevent their special interest allies from anonymously inundating the airwaves with political advertisements designed to sway the outcome of elections. 
“Republicans have good reason to fear that if the American people knew who they really represented in Washington, they’d send them all packing.  But that doesn’t justify their obstruction of the DISCLOSE Act, which will simply uphold a free and fair electoral process by preventing foreign-controlled companies from influencing American elections, requiring that corporations and other special interests disclose their role in political campaigning, and mandating that those special interests disclose the donors who help to fund their political efforts.”
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