McConnell and Disclosure

Floor Speech

Mr. YARMUTH. Madam Speaker, in 2003, the current Senate minority leader told NPR:

Money is essential in politics, and not something that we should feel squeamish about--provided the donations are limited and disclosed, everyone knows who's supporting everyone else.

I agree with that version of Senator McConnell. But there's a new version who revealed last week that he doesn't think that we should know who's buying our democracy, and he compared this administration's opposition to unlimited anonymous campaign contributions to the Nixon administration. I understand why Nixon came to mind, but I think the Senator is projecting here. After all, he now believes anonymous donors using secret money should be able to influence elections, all out of public view. Nixon wrote that playbook.

Anonymity allows people in campaigns to distort the truth at best, or to lie outright, with no chance of being held accountable. If you oppose disclosure of campaign financiers, you're endorsing dishonest campaigns.

Madam Speaker, the voters have a right to judge the credibility of campaign ads, and that is simply impossible without disclosure of those who are influencing our elections.

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