‘Disclose’ stalls but could return after Labor Day
The so-called Disclose Act, touted by the Democrats in control of Congress as a “campaign reform” measure while others term it a “free speech gag,” stalled on the Senate floor on July 27 as Democrats failed to overcome a Republican filibuster threat. Needing 60 votes to kill the filibuster, Democrats fell three votes short (57-41). However, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) was among those voting against cloture, which means he will be able to switch position and call for a vote when the Senate returns after Labor Day.
Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who had promised the filibuster if the bill were brought up for a vote, said the measure puts severe and unconstitutional limits on our ability to hold individual congressmen accountable in the weeks leading up to an election.
Several Senators also indicated their disgust with the exemptions in the bill. “The bill creates carve-outs for the largest, wealthiest, and most powerful Washington-based special interest groups—such as the NRA and the AARP,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).
The Disclose Act passed the House in June 219 to 206, and was generated in the wake of a January Supreme Court decision that corporations and unions can spend unlimited amounts of money to sponsor campaign ads. Democrats have vowed to bring the bill back for repeated votes in an effort to highlight the GOP’s obstruction.