SENATOR COLLINS’ STATEMENT ON DISCLOSE ACT VOTE

“I have long believed that Americans have the right to know who is contributing to political campaigns, and I share the serious concerns of so many who believe that outside, third party groups, should not be allowed to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money without revealing the names of donors.

 “That is why it is so frustrating that we find ourselves, once again, being asked to consider a partisan bill that would not fix the real problem.  Instead, this bill was intentionally written to favor some interests over others.  For example, the bill continues to provide a clear and unfair advantage to unions and would effectively exempt the lion’s share of the $4 billion in union campaign spending that has gone unreported to the FEC since 2005.

  “This latest version of the DISCLOSE Act is not an attempt to fairly address reform our campaign financing rules.   Instead, it’s yet another example of election year politics.  Our nation faces overwhelming financial challenges, including high unemployment and a nearly $16 trillion debt.  Every day that goes by, we are closer and closer to a fiscal cliff.  Rather than trying to score partisan political points, we should be moving forward on policies that truly will help America recover.”