Larson Commends Colleagues For Work on DISCLOSE Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 29, 2010

CONTACT: Emily Barocas/202-225-7295

LARSON COMMENDS COLLEAGUES FOR WORK ON DISCLOSE ACT

Calls for swift action on that and Fair Elections legislation

Washington, DC – Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01), Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, released the following statement after the introduction of legislation to reduce the influence of corporate dollars on political campaigns.

"I commend my colleagues Chris Van Hollen, Bob Brady, Mike Castle and Walter Jones for working in a bipartisan way to tackle an issue of bipartisan concern.

"The Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case will unleash a wave of corporate influence on our politics.  This is a not a Republican problem or a Democratic problem, it is an American problem.  We have already seen the impact of corporate money on our political system.  Insurance companies spent $1.4 million each day lobbying against historic health reform.  Now, big Wall Street banks have called up the same team to lobby against reform that will hold the bankers, not the American people, responsible for their mistakes.

"The DISCLOSE Act my colleagues introduced today, will inject much-needed transparency and accountability into our elections.

"If we are going to bring about the change the American people voted for, we first need to bring change to the way Washington does business.  That's why I've introduced the Fair Elections Now Act, as a compliment to the DISCLOSE Act.  This legislation would take the hunt for big money out of our elections and put the American people back into the driver's seat of political campaigns.  It would energize the sort of small donor, grassroots campaigns that made Barack Obama so successful as a candidate.

"I look forward to working with my colleagues to see both of these important pieces of legislation come to the floor for a vote."

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