The U.S. Chamber of Commerce will include Senate votes on the DISCLOSE Act on its annual legislative scorecard, the group said today.
The Chamber has lobbied heavily against the campaign finance legislation, which is a response to the Supreme Court's January decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. That ruling lifted a ban on the use of corporate general treasury funds on independent political expenditures in federal elections.
The legislation seeks to place other limits on corporate political activity. It passed the House earlier this year, and the Senate version is expected to come up for a test vote tomorrow.
In a letter to senators, the Chamber said the legislation "would violate free speech protections embodied in the First Amendment."
President Barack Obama spoke this afternoon at the White House to urge passage of the DISCLOSE Act. Referring to the bill's requirement that those who finance political ads be named, he said, "They have the right to put forward their view. They even have the right to advertise. But the least we should be able to do is know who they are."
Comments