Floor statement: Sen. John McCain on the DISCLOSE Act
(CNN) — Senate Republicans again Tuesday blocked Democratic legislation that would require greater transparency into who is behind much of the secretive, often negative campaign advertising filling the airwaves this election season.
Read more on Senate Republicans blocking DISCLOSE Act
Supporters of the DISCLOSE Act mustered 53 votes in an effort to advance the bill, but fell short of the 60 needed to break a GOP filibuster.
What follows is the full statement made by U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, on Tuesday on the Senate floor, provided by his press office:
“Mr. President, I oppose cloture on the motion to proceed to S. 3369, the DISCLOSE Act. My reasons for opposing this motion are simple — even though the subject of campaign finance reform is not. In its current form, the DISCLOSE Act is closer to a clever attempt at political gamesmanship, than actual reform. By conveniently setting high thresholds for reporting requirements, the DISCLOSE Act forces some entities to inform the public about the origins of their financial support, while allowing others — most notably those affiliated with organized labor — to fly below the Federal Election Commission’s regulatory radar.
“As my colleagues are aware, I have a rather long history fighting for campaign finance reform, and to break the influence of money in American politics. And, regardless of what the United States Supreme Court may do or say, I continue to be proud of my record because I believe the cause — to improve our democracy and further empower the citizens of our country — was and continues to be worth fighting for.
“But let’s be clear — the reforms we have successfully enacted over the years have not cured all of the public cynicism about the state of politics in our country. No legislative measure or Supreme Court decision will completely free politics from influence peddling or the appearance of it. But I do believe that fair and just reforms will move many Americans, who have grown more and more disaffected from the practices and
You can read the rest of this article at:: http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/17/politics/mccain-disclose-act-statement/index.html
Short URL: http://thepresidency.us/?p=18348
Posted by RobertButler
on Jul 17 2012. Filed under 2012 Presidential Campaign.
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