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Senator Baldwin Cosponsors Revamped DISCLOSE Act to Address Threats to America’s Campaign Finance System

Providing greater transparency and fighting foreign interference by strengthening campaign finance laws

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin joined 43 Senate colleagues led by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) to unveil a new version of the DISCLOSE Act, legislation to increase transparency on spending in elections.  In addition to requiring super PACs and other organizations to promptly disclose donors who have given $10,000 or more, this legislation will also crack down on foreign interference in our elections.  Under current law, foreign nationals and foreign corporations are prohibited from engaging in any election spending.  However, domestic companies with significant foreign ownership are not subject to the same restrictions. 

The DISCLOSE Act of 2017 will prohibit domestic corporations with significant foreign control, ownership, or direction from spending money in U.S. elections.  It will also require shell companies, which can be used to launder foreign money, to disclose their true owners so election officials and the public know who is behind the company and its contributions. 

A summary of the DISCLOSE Act can be found here.

Joining Baldwin and Whitehouse to introduce the DISCLOSE Act are Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Thomas Carper (D-DE), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Robert Casey Jr. (D-PA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jon Tester (D-MT), Tom Udall (D-NM), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY), Al Franken (D-MN), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Christopher Murphy (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Angus King Jr. (I-ME), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Edward Markey (D-MA), Corey Booker (D-NJ), Gary Peters (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV).