MASSPIRG Executive Director urging Senator Brown to support the DISCLOSE Act

Statement of Janet Domenitz

MASSPIRG

“Americans are about to experience their first election under the new campaign finance regime outlined in the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision, Citizens United v. FEC.  As a result, we can expect hundreds of millions of dollars paying for ads that will flood the airwaves – the U.S. Chamber of Commerce alone has already increased its spending estimate by 50%, representing a $25 million increase in money spent on campaign ads.  Unless Congress acts, none of this new spending will be disclosed to the voting public. 

This is a frightening prospect and a danger to our democracy.

MASSPIRG is strongly urging Senator Brown to stand up and support the DISCLOSE Act, which will require corporations to disclose their campaign contributions. Supporting this bill gives Senator Brown a chance to stand by his campaign promise to bring “accountability and transparency back to our government…” and ensures that Massachusetts voters have the information they need to make informed choices in November.

Disclosure of campaign contributions has been a cornerstone of our campaign finance laws and is widely supported by voters across the political spectrum. 

This bill is a necessary step to protect the integrity of our elections.  The House has already acted and now is the time for the Senate to pass legislation on these critical protections.

We believe it can be done, and we urge Senator Brown to support this important legislation.”

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MASSPIRG, the Masssachusetts Public Interest Research Group, is a non-profit, non-partisan public interest advocacy organization.