LEGISLATION WOULD NEGATIVELY IMPACT FREE SPEECH

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today applauded the U.S. Senate’s July 27 rejection to debate the Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections (DISCLOSE) Act (S. 3628.) This legislation was designed to offset the effects of a January Supreme Court decision lifting many of the restrictions on corporate political campaign contributions. However, it would adversely impact the free speech rights of ABC and its members in the political process.

“The DISCLOSE Act is a direct attack on ABC members, and the association as a whole,” said 2010 ABC National Chairman Jim Elmer, founder and president of James W. Elmer Construction Co., Spokane, Wash. “We will fight every attempt by this Congress and the president to silence our voices in the political process as guaranteed under the First Amendment.”

The DISCLOSE Act would have banned certain campaign-related activity by businesses with government contracts, but no similar restrictions are imposed on labor unions that receive federal grants or negotiate collective bargaining agreements with the federal government. The legislation also would have required businesses and trade associations to disclose donors who gave $600 or more towards a candidate without placing the same requirement on labor unions. In addition, the DISCLOSE Act would have imposed onerous mandatory disclosures for political television and radio advertisements that would use nearly half the time available for a :30 second ad.

Preceding the vote, ABC sent a letter to members of the U.S. Senate expressing strong opposition to the legislation. In addition, ABC is counting votes on the DISCLOSE Act as “key votes” for its 111th Congressional Scorecard.