WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-47) today released the following statement regarding House passage of H.R. 5175, the Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections (DISCLOSE) Act. If signed into law, the bill would impose new disclosure requirements on outside groups that sponsor campaign ads and communications:
“I strongly support the DISCLOSE Act, which will dramatically increase transparency and accountability in political spending. Corporations and foreign governments shouldn’t be allowed to issue a blank check to influence the outcome of our elections. It’s completely inconsistent with our democratic principles.
“Make no mistake: I try very hard to have a good, working relationship with businesses in my district. But I refuse to be beholden to any corporation, particularly when their interests and those of my constituents are at odds. Big businesses shouldn’t be able to bully candidates who don’t support their bottom line or run outrageous attack ads with zero accountability.
“This is not a partisan issue. We can’t flood our democracy with millions of dollars in political expenditures and then keep people in the dark about who is trying to influence our elections. The end goal of the DISCLOSE Act is to provide more information to the American people so they can make informed decisions – something I think people on both sides of the aisle can agree with.â€