VIDEO: Hirono Votes to Advance Legislation Increasing Transparency and Accountability in Political Spending, Slams Republicans for Continued Obstruction
Press Release
Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, voted to advance the DISCLOSE Act of 2021, legislation to end dark-money spending in our elections. The legislation failed by a vote of 49-49, without a single Republican voting in favor.
Shortly before voting, Senator Hirono spoke about the bill on the Senate floor, highlighting how anonymous dark money spending by special interest groups is corrupting our elections, our courts, and our democracy, and slammed Republicans for their continued obstruction of this legislation.
"When 85 percent of the American people support reproductive freedom, 65 percent of the American people support gun safety, and 63 percent of the American people support protecting the right to vote, and Senate Republicans are preventing us from even having a legislative debate on the Senate floor, what does that tell you," said Senator Hirono in her remarks. "It tells you that too many elected officials are no longer answering to the people, but instead to the secret donors and corporations who are funding their campaigns."
In her remarks, Senator Hirono also condemned Senate Republicans, who blocked the Senate from even debating the bill just minutes after her speech.
"There is bipartisan agreement to limit dark money, but sadly, we know Republicans too often say one thing and do another, because not a single one of them so far has voiced support for even considering the DISCLOSE Act," continued Senator Hirono. "A bill that would increase transparency and accountability in political spending; a bill that would do the very thing that some leading Republicans have called for."
"For the sake of our democracy, we need to get rid of the anonymous spending influencing our elections and our courts. That is a goal that everyone should be able to get behind, regardless of whether you're a Democrat or Republican," said Senator Hirono. "We cannot accept a country where billionaires and corporations can secretly buy our elections, choose our leaders, and determine the fate of this country."
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