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President Biden to Introduce Campaign Finance Reform Bill - YES!

https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/biden-to-push-election-dark-money-disclosure-bill-doomed-to-fail-in-congress

At long last a President is attempting meaningful campaign finance reform and expose "Dark money" campaign contributions (i.e. bribery). Thank you President Biden for having the courage to take on this essential battle! It is likely the bill will not pass the senate as it would take 60 votes and Republicans will all vote against it. But this is an opening skirmish in a war to end corporate money corrupting our politics.

"WASHINGTON, Sept 20 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will speak on Tuesday about a bill that would require super PACs and certain other groups to disclose donors who contributed $10,000 or more during an election cycle, a measure doomed to fail due to lack of Republican support.

The bill is slated for a Senate vote this week, top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said on Monday, as Democrats seek to boost election transparency ahead of the November midterms after failing to pass more ambitious voting rights legislation earlier this year.

"Republicans, including Texas senator Ted Cruz, have argued that companies have the right to express themselves through anonymous donations. Democrats say such 'dark money' donations have warped the political system, resulting in laws that do not reflect the majority of Americans' views.

"There is no justification under heaven for keeping such massive contributions hidden from the public," Schumer said.
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MarineBob · 56-60, M
How many billions. Has big pharma gave. Biden
@MarineBob BILLIONS?! lmao
badminton · 61-69, MVIP
@MarineBob Both parties have accepted corporate contributions, because they have to. If one party takes a big pile of money, and the other doesn't , that party is at a huge disadvantage. They will be outspent at election time and lose. Our political system has been in this trap for many years. That's why we need campaign finance laws that ban corporate money to ALL parties. This bill to expose 'dark money' is a very important start in the people re-gaining control of our political system from deep-pockets corporations and billionaires.
@badminton Agreed!
@MarineBob With the Citizen's United decision, SCOTUS gave corporations, unions, etc free rein to spend as much as they like on elections. Prior to 2010 corporate spending on politics was quite restricted.

Mostly though, corporations, unions, etc don't donate directly to candidates. Instead, they contribute to 'dark money' organizations that hide the sources of the money and tend to produce edgier more aggressive ads.

If the ad says at the end "I am XY and I approve this ad" it's money donated directly to the candidate. If the ad says "paid for by citizens for XYZ" or similar, then it's money the candidate has no control over.

I believe dark money has made an even bigger mess of our politics and I'd dearly love to get rid of it.
samueltyler2 · 80-89, M
@MarineBob To all the angry anti-Biden people here, If he has allowed the Pharma money, and other, to corrupt him, then why would he, and the dems in congress, be the ones proposing to make all of this "transparent?"
@samueltyler2 ...and allow Medicare to bargain for better prices (a MARKET solution OPPOSED by Republicans...hmmm was it because of how good it was for their constituents?)
MarineBob · 56-60, M
@SomeMichGuy the number one reason most bills fail regardless of party is the pork . bills should be one item only and limited to 3 pages
@MarineBob You really think that's why?

Lots of bills get passed with agreed-upon pork.

Many bills now are written by lobbyists.

If things (problems, issues, solutions) were simple, the law could be. Three pages can't even handle the definitions for many laws.
OggggO · 36-40, M
@MarineBob
bills should be one item only and limited to 3 pages
That's incredibly stupid.
SW-User
@samueltyler2 Because he knows it'll never pass due mostly to his side. Transparent, cynical shit sandwich that you couldn't have taken a bigger bite