Electronic Filing Measure Is Blocked Again

Legislation to require Senate campaign finance reports to be filed electronically (S.223) was blocked once again on Monday. It was Senator Dianne Feinstein's (D-CA) third attempt this year to bring up the Senate campaign electronic filing measure by unanimous consent. Currently, House and presidential candidates, PACs and party committees are required to file their reports electronically, but Senate candidates and party committees are exempt. Senator John Ensign (R-NV) said he blocked the bill because he wanted to add an amendment which would require groups that file complaints with the Senate Ethics Committee to reveal their donors. According to the Sunlight Foundation Democratic offices were given a Unanimous Consent agreement from Senator Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) office that would have allowed the Senate to move the bill only if they agreed to take up a an amendment identical to the one introduced on Monday by Senator John Ensign. And according to BNA ($$) Money and Politics, Russ Feingold (D-WI) said that the Senator who placed the hold was revealed thanks to the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, which requires the disclosure of senators who place holds on Senate action.
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