Watchdogs call for pre-recess vote on Disclose Act

Senate Should Not Leave on Vacation Until Passing Election Reform Ensuring Transparency

Below is a press release a coalition of election integrity groups put out urging a vote on the Disclose Act before the senate goes on vacation. For more on Protect Our Elections visit: www.protectourelections.org

Republicans in the Senate were recently able to block an up-and-down vote on the Disclose Act. A watchdog organization called Protect Our Elections is calling on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to keep Senate in session until Republicans allow a vote, even if it wipes out the Senate's summer recess.

Protect Our Elections says it is an coalition of organizations that does not wish to see the electoral process over-washed with a tidal wave of corporate cash.

"We need transparency in the 2010 midterm elections so voters know whether a candidate is being supported by ordinary citizens or corporate barons," said Protect Our Elections spokesman Kevin Zeese. "It is telling that GOP Senators are blocking a vote on this legislation that simply requires disclosure of those corporations that are funding election ads. Clearly, these Senators want to keep that funding secret because they are in the pocket of Big Business. It is not a coincidence that within hours after last week's GOP filibuster, Big Coal announced a multi million dollar campaign to target Democrats, and this is in addition to the promised secretly donated three hundred million that GOP groups like the Chamber of Commerce and Karl Rove's American Crossroads plan to spend to elect more Congress members who will protect the interests of Big Business over ordinary citizens."

RBR-TVBR observation: The odds that legislation could be passed and put into effect for 2010 are already slim - and by all accounts, Senate Democrats have many more fences back home in need of mending than do Senate Republicans. If Reid were to follow this advice, he'd no doubt be facing an uproar coming from both parties.