Next Steps for the DISCLOSE Act
The New York Times editorializes today about the failure of the DISCLOSE Act, chastising Republicans for seeking the right to poison the political atmosphere
Jul 31, 2020731.9K Shares11.8M Views
The New York Times editorializestoday about the failure of the DISCLOSE Act, chastising Republicans for seeking “the right to poison the political atmosphere without being held accountable for their speech.” That said, the Times also noted that the bill’s supporters didn’t help their cause by tacking on a number of provisions that went beyond the purported goal of disclosure:
“„In a bill that was supposed to be about disclosure, there was no need to prohibit independent expenditures by some government contractors, or recipients of Troubled Asset Relief Program funds, or oil drillers. The House inserted an especially distasteful provision that exempted the National Rifle Association from disclosure requirements.
There may very well be good reasons why some government contractors or recipients of TARP funds should be prohibited from making independent political expenditures — recipients of government money might be encouraged to spend it in political ways to influence the continuation of that gravy train. (When it comes to exempting large organizations like the NRA from disclosure, I can’t think of any good reasons.)
The Times is right, however, in pointing out that these measures gave Republicans additional excuses to vote against cloture. It will be interesting to see whether Sens. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) take the Times’ advice and introduce a paired down version of the bill in September, or whether they introduce the same measure and dare Republicans to keep opposing it.
Paolo Reyna
Reviewer
Paolo Reyna is a writer and storyteller with a wide range of interests. He graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies.
Paolo enjoys writing about celebrity culture, gaming, visual arts, and events. He has a keen eye for trends in popular culture and an enthusiasm for exploring new ideas. Paolo's writing aims to inform and entertain while providing fresh perspectives on the topics that interest him most.
In his free time, he loves to travel, watch films, read books, and socialize with friends.
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