Senate Republicans Block Bill To Require Disclosure Of Dark Money Donors.

In a procedural vote Thursday morning, the Senate failed to advance the Disclosure Act by a 49-49 vote along party lines. No Republican voted for it. At least 60 votes would be needed for the Senate to end debate on the bill and move it forward. Election spending by corporations and the super-rich through so-called dark money groups has skyrocketed since the 2010 Supreme Court ruling Citizens United v. FEC, which allowed anonymous entities and labor unions to spend unlimited amounts of money to promote or attack candidates. Democrats have argued unsuccessfully against the decision for more than a decade, saying the ability of corporations and billionaires to advocate for or against candidates anonymously through such groups has given them enormous influence in American politics. Republicans have defended the right of corporations to make political donations, even as some of them have called for more transparency in campaign finance. Before Thursday’s vote, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (DN.Y.) noted that when the Supreme Court issued its decision in Citizens Unitedthe dissenting justices had warned that the ruling “threatens to undermine the integrity of elected institutions across the nation.” “Unfortunately, they turned out to be right,” Schumer said. “By giving massive corporations the same rights as individual citizens, multi-billionaires can have a voice … stifling citizen opinion and sidelining decades-old campaign finance laws and paving the way for powerful elites to pump in nearly endless cash . Citizens United has distorted our democracy almost beyond recognition.” “Now the choice before the Senate is simple. Will members vote today to cure our democracy of the cancer of dark money, or will they stand in the way and let this disease metastasize out of control?” Schumer added. “Members have to pick a side. Which side are you on? The side of American voters and ‘one person, one vote’ or the side of super PACs and the billionaire donor class rigging the game in their favor?” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (DR.I.), the bill’s sponsor, compared such dark money groups to “a dark octopus of corruption and deceit” that had infiltrated the republic. And although federal law prohibits super PACs from coordinating with political campaigns on spending and content, Whitehouse added, “you can bet” that candidates — and lawmakers — are getting that information anyway. “This is the kind of fake fun and games that dark money is allowing to invade our democracy,” Whitehouse said. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) blasted the bill as “an affront to the First Amendment” and encouraged Republicans to vote against it on Thursday. “Today’s liberal pet priority is a bill designed to give unelected federal bureaucrats far more power over citizens’ First Amendment rights and political activism, and to take away the privacy of Americans who speak out about politics in their private lives,” McConnell said. before the vote. Earlier this week, President Biden called on Republicans to join Democrats in supporting the Disclosure Act. In remarks at the White House, Biden invoked the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), saying his “friend” supported campaign finance reform as a matter of fundamental fairness. He pointed out that currently advocacy groups can run ads until Election Day without disclosing who paid for the ad, and that even foreign entities not allowed to contribute to political campaigns can use dark loopholes to try to influence voters. elections. “And at its best, our democracy serves all people equally, regardless of wealth or privilege,” Biden said at the time. “But here’s the deal: There’s a lot — too much — money flowing into the shadows to influence our elections … Dark money has become so common in our politics, I think sunlight is the best disinfectant.” Biden said dark money groups are a problem for both Republicans and Democrats, but he said Republicans in Congress have so far not supported passing new campaign finance laws to address the issue. “Ultimately, it comes down to public trust. “Dark money erodes public trust,” Biden said. “We have to protect the public trust. And I’m determined to do it.” John Wagner and Azi Paybarah contributed to this report.