Senator Wyden takes tough stand against special interest influence in elections
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Jul 26
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Posted in Changing D.C.. |
Tomorrow, the U.S. Senate will take its initial vote on the DISCLOSE Act, a bill designed to curb the unlimited special interest spending in American elections. Senator Ron Wyden, one of the bill's chief sponsors, is committed to not having the voices of average Oregonians drowned out by an endless flood of special interest money.
"If the Supreme Court wants to treat corporations as individuals then we will hold those entities to the same standards of accountability that we do individuals," he said in April immediately following the Citizens United decision.
And today, the day before the first votes on the DISCLOSE Act occur, Senator Wyden had strong words for those special interests, foreign interests, and others seeking to influence American elections who oppose more openness and transparency: "[Why] don't these organizations want to put their name on political speech?''
Senator Wyden is a longtime advocate for clean and open elections. He has always fought for greater transparency when it comes to campaign spending and routinely points out that "sunlight is the best disinfectant" in politics. The DISCLOSE Act is latest version of Senator Wyden's original Stand By Your Ad law, which he wrote in 1996 to make political candidates take personal responsibility for their advertising. To learn more about his recent work, click here.
Posted on July 26, 2010 in Changing D.C..
