Rep. Heath Shuler Fights For Transparency And Accountability In Campaigns

Press Release

Today, Congressman Heath Shuler (D-Waynesville) cosponsored the bipartisan DISCLOSE Act to address concerns raised by the Supreme Court's ruling in the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case and ensure transparency in elections. This bipartisan bill, backed by the White House, has companion legislation in the Senate and is expected to be voted on in both chambers in the coming months.

On January 21st, the Supreme Court issued a ruling arguing that corporations have the same political speech rights as individuals. Concerns were immediately raised that this ruling would open the door for corporations and special interests to effectively "buy" elections by purchasing campaign ads that could be cost-prohibitive for others to attain. In his State of the Union address last February, President Obama said the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling "reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests - including foreign corporations - to spend without limit in our elections."

"Permitting corporations to wield even more power in the legislative process has the potential to diminish the integrity of Congress as an institution," said Rep. Shuler. "The DISCLOSE Act will ensure that elections are decided by voters -- not corporations or special interests."

The DISCLOSE Act requires organizations, companies or individuals funding political advertisements to declare their affiliation, just as candidates must endorse their political messages. It sets lofty standards for monetary disclosure by special interests, corporations and other entities who seek to influence the outcome of elections. It prevents foreign companies from spending unlimited amounts to sway U.S. elections in their favor. It also bars Wall Street banks and other "bailed-out" industries from spending taxpayer money on campaign advertisements.

"The Citizens United ruling raised a number of pertinent issues about how campaigns are run and financed in our country. Hundreds of Western North Carolina residents have called or written my office to voice concerns about the ruling and to demand increased fairness and transparency in elections," said Rep. Shuler. "This bill is a great first step. It's a bill that will protect the political rights of everyday Americans, and prevent their important voices from being drowned out by companies and other entities willing and able to spend millions to buy candidates."

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