Source:
LA TimesWASHINGTON — House Republicans voted Wednesday to try to block the Obama administration from requiring companies that bid on federal contracts to disclose how they spend money to influence elections.
The measure was adopted roughly along party lines as an amendment to a massive defense bill, and was meant to pre-empt an executive order by President Obama that federal agencies obtain information on political donations by companies seeking to do business with the government.
The White House has signaled that Obama is considering such an order as one step to require some level of disclosure by companies. Recent court rulings freed companies to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence elections, but existing laws do not require companies to disclose payments they make to independent groups which use anonymous dollars to finance their influence and advertising campaigns.
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The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a major recipient of anonymous campaign money, spent $33 million last year on advertising to influence political races across the country. The organization lobbied for Cole's amendment, labeling it a "key vote," a signal that the Chamber might target lawmakers who vote the wrong way.Read more:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sc-dc-0526-congress-defense-20110525,0,281505.story
Kudos to the Obama administration for taking action to put corporate donations out in the open. Hopefully, we do not give Republicans a free pass for doing the bidding of their corporate masters.
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