Washington, D.C. – Concerned Women for America condemns, the passage of the DISCLOSE Act in the House of Representatives today. Penny Nance, CEO of Concerned Women for America, stated:
“The DISCLOSE Act is designed to stifle Americans’ legitimate right to political speech and carves out exceptions for powerful special interest groups and unions. It places onerous regulations on small business owners and grassroots groups if they attempt to educate the public on candidates and issues.
“The politicians who voted for this bill have put themselves on record as being against an essential tool through which America came to be a country – the public communication of political views. The brave founders of our country used the public means of their day to inform and persuade citizens, anonymously when so desired. This raw grab for power in an attempt to silence opposition by burdening citizens with regulations is the work of tyrants.”
The DISCLOSE Act requires organizations to name their top donors in ads that mention candidates – even if the donors did not fund the ads. Their CEOs must appear in the ad and twice state their name and the organization’s name. The most “significant” donor must list his name, rank, and organization three times in the ad, and the names of all donors who give $600 or more to the organization must be handed over to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Groups must post a link on their website to the FEC, where a list of their donors’ names can be accessed. It also bans election-related communications 90 days before the primaries up till the general election.