Small Business Vote Alert on "DISCLOSE"
July 27, 2010
Today, the United States Senate will vote on whether to start debate on Senate bill 3628, the so-called "Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections Act" (DISCLOSE Act). The Small Business & Entrepreneurship (SBE) Council is opposed to the legislation and sent a letter (full text below) to all U.S. Senators urging a no vote on the bill. A similar bill already passed the U.S. House. The legislation protects the free speech rights of certain organizations while clamping down on others.
Groups like labor unions and several others that provide lots of money and cover for incumbents received an exemption from the legislation. They will be free to partake in as much political and election-year activity as they wish. Meanwhile, small business associations like SBE Council and government contractors will have prohibitions placed upon our activities. In fact, the DISCLOSE Act places a blanket prohibition on all election-related speech activity by government contractors. Does this sound constitutional and fair to you?
If it doesn't, please call your U.S. Senators at (202) 224-3121 and urge them to vote against this assault on free speech.
SBE Council's KEY VOTE Letter to the United States Senate
To the Members of the United States Senate:
On behalf of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council), I strongly urge your opposition to Senate bill 3628, the "Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in the Elections Act" (DISCLOSE ACT). The legislation will muzzle the voice of the small business community. It is unconstitutional, discriminatory, onerous and politically motivated. The DISCLOSE Act protects the free speech rights of certain groups, while clamping down on small business associations and our allies in the broader business community.
SBE Council will KEY VOTE the "DISCLOSE Act" as a vote against the interest of small business owners in our forthcoming Ratings of Congress.
The clear intent of the bill is to muzzle the voice and speech of businesses and business associations in the upcoming elections. Small business owners and entrepreneurs already feel their voice is being dismissed and ignored in the legislative process as Congress continues to tax, regulate, mandate, intrude and spend against their interests. S. 3628 is simply another tool to shut small businesses out of the political process.
It's hard to imagine how this legislation's title—"Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections Act" (DISCLOSE Act)—could possibly be more misleading. After all, it threatens the First Amendment rights of the business community, including small businesses. A more apt title might be the "Silencing the Voice of Small Business Act."
Groups like labor unions and several others that provide lots of money and cover for incumbents received an exemption from the legislation. They will be free to partake in as much political and election-year activity as they wish. Meanwhile, small business associations like SBE Council and government contractors will have prohibitions placed upon our activities. In fact, the DISCLOSE Act places a blanket prohibition on all election-related speech activity by government contractors. Does this sound constitutional and fair to you?
If it doesn't, please call your U.S. Senators at (202) 224-3121 and urge them to vote against this assault on free speech.
SBE Council's KEY VOTE Letter to the United States Senate
To the Members of the United States Senate:
On behalf of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council), I strongly urge your opposition to Senate bill 3628, the "Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in the Elections Act" (DISCLOSE ACT). The legislation will muzzle the voice of the small business community. It is unconstitutional, discriminatory, onerous and politically motivated. The DISCLOSE Act protects the free speech rights of certain groups, while clamping down on small business associations and our allies in the broader business community.
SBE Council will KEY VOTE the "DISCLOSE Act" as a vote against the interest of small business owners in our forthcoming Ratings of Congress.
The clear intent of the bill is to muzzle the voice and speech of businesses and business associations in the upcoming elections. Small business owners and entrepreneurs already feel their voice is being dismissed and ignored in the legislative process as Congress continues to tax, regulate, mandate, intrude and spend against their interests. S. 3628 is simply another tool to shut small businesses out of the political process.
It's hard to imagine how this legislation's title—"Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections Act" (DISCLOSE Act)—could possibly be more misleading. After all, it threatens the First Amendment rights of the business community, including small businesses. A more apt title might be the "Silencing the Voice of Small Business Act."
I find this article confuses the intent of the law, which is to bring to light who is financing elected officials. The supreme court generously gave corporations rights as individuals, even though they are not. With this law, unlimited money can be spent by big business to finance campaigns, push through legislation and flood the election cycle with candidates bought and paid for. The result is that the individual will have no say on who is elected and who they will be beholden to. How this affects small business is a red herring, since the only beneficiaries of the supreme court ruling are large corporations. If anything, small businesses will be hurt by the possibility of stealth lawmakers passing legislation that will aid large businesses at the expense of small businesses.