Subscribe to Common Dreams News Updates
Most Popular This Week
Popular content
Today's Top News
Democrats: Breakthrough on Campaign Finance Bill
WASHINGTON - House Democrats have reached an agreement with the National Rifle Association on campaign-finance legislation that would roll back the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, removing a major obstacle on the bill, according to House sources.
House Democrats have reached an agreement with the National Rifle Association on campaign finance legislation that would roll back the Citizens United decision. (AP)
The deal would exempt the NRA and some other large organizations from
strict campaign finance disclosures in the bill, which is being pushed
by Democratic leaders in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling in the
Citizens United case. The NRA had objected to some of the disclosure
requirements for the new campaign finance proposals, and that had kept
moderate, pro-gun Democrats from backing the legislation. The NRA said
it would not comment until specific legislative language is revealed.
But if there is an agreement in principle, the bill could come to the House floor as early as this week.
That Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case removed all barriers on corporations or unions from running TV ads opposing or backing candidates in the run-up to an election. Democratic leaders fear the decision could open the floodgates for corporate money to flow into the year’s mid-term elections, which they believe would favor Republicans, and they have vowed to pass legislation to require public disclosure of such activities.
Under the original bill, offered by Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Md.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, groups like the NRA would have to disclose their top donors if they chose to run TV ads or send out mass mailings in the final months of an election
Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.), who supports the Van Hollen bill yet is also an NRA backer, had offered an amendment to exempt the NRA and other non-profits from the legislation, but that move drew objections from campaign watchdog groups.
The new agreement would exempt organizations that have over one million members, have been in existence for more than 10 years, have members in all 50 states, and raise 15 percent or less of their funds from corporations, from the disclosure requirements. The NRA, with four million members, would fall into the exempted category and will not oppose the DISCLOSE Act now, according to Democratic sources.
But the Chamber of Commerce still opposes the legislation, and its not clear that the Senate will take it up even if the House passes it.
20 Comments so far
Show AllSo, the NRA is another one that runs "our" government. Knowing that the Senate is totally disfunctional, I'm pretty confident that they will not move on this bill at all. It might gore their oxes.
So firing bullets count as protected free speach now?
Well, the average 44 cal shoots straighter than any US Politician I have ever heard.
Corporations with like interrests will just create non-profit groups to keep control over elections and issues! Typical Democrat response ...make a loophole
(Church Lady voice): "The NRA: aren't they special?"
The Democratic Party had better get one thing straight about gun owners. Gun owners will not raise a hell if the NRA is asked to do a simple task of telling the people who its top donors are. As a matter of fact, more gun owners who are less violent by nature are distancing themselves from the corporate NRA. Heath Shuler isn't interested in representing his constituents anymore than he is in representing the big corporations he wants for stuffing his campaign trucks.
Generally though, the Democrats always carve out for the NRA. They did it on health care too. Up next will probably be another carving out exemption for the anti-abortion nuts and then what next? Big Oil? Big Pharma? Big Insurance? Big Military? Private and charter schools? Big Religion? Oh what the hey Democrats, just carve out plenty of big exemptions and make this campaign finance bill worthless just like you do every bill ! Even most law abiding gun owners must be wondering why the Democratic Party in Washington is making an ass out of itself.
Let's carve out both the Republican and Democratic parties and put in a progressive third party who won't carve out for corporate shenanigans.
This what I do not understand about the NRA: Because of the clause "the right to bear arms", the NRA wants it to be legal to own handguns, shotguns and rifles, but the NRA does not advocate for the right to own jet fighters, nuclear weapons, predator drones, etc. by individuals. 'Arms' (weapons) come in all sizes.
Scary thing is that yes, they are your Constitutional right.
But then, we're reaping the whirlwind of our worshiping a 230-year-old document written by fallible and often highly amoral men as Holy Writ.
Who's talking about owning slaves? I'm talking about sexual activity with animate property! (Is that miscegenation or bestiality?)
AMEN!!!! But, you cannot have a nuclear weapon because you are not some "holier than thou" American Government or a lackey thereof, such as Israel, India, Pakistan, or Russia. If others had access to nukes, they might be as evil as us!!! We condemned Saddam as a holder of WMD's, when it is the US and the US alone that has ever used a nuke to kill innocent people - and we did it twice!!
The money grubbing NRA brass does not represent honest gun owners, so I wonder who it does represent?
I feel sorry for people who are so paranoid that they are afraid to go anywhere without side arms. Trains, National Parks, churches; where ever they go, their paranoia seems to follow them like a shadow.
I have not locked my house door in twenty years, and I sleep very soundly every night. I will not let fear and guns enter and rule my life.
I am a sportsman, but I do not think hunting with guns is sporting. Using guns to kill animals is more the act of a bully and a coward. A real sporting contest must be fair. Go up against a brown bear or cougar bare handed. Although frankly, this time of year, the brown bear would probably prefer that you just run away, so he could peacefully browse on yellow dandelions.
It isn't so much caving to the NRA as it is watering
down campaign finance legislation.
The bill was weak to start with, just a symbolic gesture
to the Citizens United decision, it didn't address real
campaign finance reform.
Now they need to water down the little good that it did
do.
Exactly WHY is the NRA even allowed at the table when legislation is being written? Perhaps we could have our politicians renditioned to Antarctica....in their birthday suits!
" WHY is the NRA even allowed at the table when legislation is being written?"
Because it is heavily armed .....
"Democratic leaders...have vowed to pass legislation to require public disclosure..."
Legislation not to ban corporate money in politics, but to require disclosure. Oh that's just wonderful.
The difference between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party is in their preferred method of duping their respective bases.
One couldn't ask for a better, more concise example of the moral rot at the heart of the Democratic Party.
At the heart of the entire system . . . .
"But the Chamber of Commerce still opposes the legislation, and its not clear that the Senate will take it up even if the House passes it."
The Senate is a millionaire's club so my guess is they will take it up and strip it all the way down to "appease" COC and pass it as "reform". The COC will make a pretend protest on it when in reality they will probably end up gloating privately just like the Republicans on Barrycare.
I am not liking this computer stuff much. To convoluted, to easy to speak out and not be challenged. People are burnt out on confrontation but they want to be heard, but to be heard is to be challenged.
Something our Government needs to be reminded of.
I wanted to comment on a topic that I can not even find anymore, so I will use this page. Sorry if my comments do not reflect the current topic of this page.
It was about Drones. People are becoming more informed and harder to control that is why we have the mad dash to robotize the military and local police forces. Yes make no mistake local police are now looking to drones for your protection???
I will not make this long, As we become more active and engaged. A more intelligent entity will surface and bide for power,and rightly so. It is time for intelligent thought to take over. It is time for the two party system to step away as they continually show that they will only create the very thing they are afraid of. Why are the people in power so fearful. The easiest solution right out of the gate is for the people that have the muscle and the ability to pick up the gun, simply refuse to do so. It is only because of your ability that these people have power. With out you they are nothing and you only do it because you have bought into the fear of having nothing. And because of that you are helping the crazy fearful pull the rug right from under your own feet and you think you are earning a living or fighting the just cause. But with any cause there needs to be scrutiny. A lot of the time , time is of the essence and it is hard to determine if enough time was taken when you seemingly do not have enough time, you must act??? To you the people that orchestrate and engineer the need.........stop it will ya.
Put your energy into making art a big deal, what ever we make a big deal out of, that is where the commerce will go. imagine what it would be like if art was a big a deal as the military. Of course I speak from entitlement......don"t I.
Entitlement given to me by you who has picked up the gun, I know of what I speak as I was one of you once.no.......twice?
We are being lied to by folks that have responsibility over other people's money, yet money is worth almost nothing.
WHEWWWWWWW Zeitgeist??????? check it out.
Good night and much luck