Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) announced Thursday that the DISCLOSE Act (Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections) has been reintroduced in Congress and will be up for a vote next week on Monday!
The 2012 DISCLOSE Act is the first step in the fight against unlimited anonymous campaign cash unleashed by the awful Citizens United Supreme Court ruling by requiring all political donations and transfers above $10,000 be disclosed within 24 hours. Donors (including people, corporations, nonprofits, Super PACs, and unions) can specify their large donations not be used for political campaigns in order to remain anonymous, but all electioneering donations above the $10,000 threshold will be reported to the FEC.
Disclosure will go a long way to bringing deceptive astroturf donations out of the shadows and into the light -- no more hiding behind generic names like “concerned citizens of America,” you have to use your own real name! The top donors will be listed with “we support this message” tag lines on TV and radio ads. People need to know where ideas are coming from and who is funding them to interpret whether the ideas benefit the public interest or corporate profit.
Passing the DISCLOSE Act is just one part of our larger campaign to Take Back Democracy. We launched our 5 point plan this week and are already gaining great momentum with the disclosure vote scheduled.
Get involved in the Take Back Democracy campaign and sign up to help out with any and all of the 5 points -- let us know which point you think is most important in the comments.
We have had intense interest in the campaign on Facebook -- over 2,000 shares of the plan graphic. Check out our Facebook to share the 5 point plan to Take Back Democracy with your friends!
Since the DISCLOSE Act vote is coming up on Monday, please call your Senators to tell them to pass the bill.
If your Senator is a Democrat, click here.
If your Senator is a Republican, click here.
We can’t wait to get moving on the next steps of the plan. Thank you to everyone who signs up to join the fight -- we need every citizen to participate to Take Back Democracy.
Let us know in the comments which point of the plan is your top priority.