Groups Call on Senators to Support S.482

OMB Watch signed on to a letter sent to every Senator asking them to support S. 482, the Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity Act and oppose any amendment to the bill. S482 would require Senate candidates and committees to file their campaign finance reports electronically, as House candidates, presidential candidates and other political committees already do.

The letter states: "The bill is necessary to correct the current wasteful process by which Senate campaign finance information is manually keyed into FEC databases at a cost to taxpayers of $250,000 per year. The cumbersome process delays public access to campaign finance data. By doing so, it undercuts one of the key purposes of disclosure by delaying online access to information in many third-quarter and pre-election reports until after Election Day. By virtue of the fact that this is 'public information,' it should be made available immediately."

The letter expressed concern about an amendment Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) is reportedly determined to bring up for a vote during consideration of the bill. The amendment would require that any nonprofit filing an ethics complaint against a senator disclose its donors. If the amendment passes, it would in essence destroy any chance to mandate electronic filing of campaign finance reports this year. Visit Pass482 and call your senators!

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