Washington, DC – (Thursday, February 9, 2012) –Today Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson issued the following statement on the introduction of the DISCLOSE 2012 Act, which will promote transparency and disclosure of the secret money being used to influence American elections:

“I’m pleased today to join my Democratic colleagues to introduce the DISCLOSE 2012 Act that will require expanded disclosure of campaign spending by Super-PACs, corporations, and lobbyists. The American people have a right to know how donations are potentially influencing our elections, and this is the first step to holding large donors and the candidates accountable.

The Supreme Court decision in Citizens United overturned decades of precedence and has dramatically changed the way corporations and wealthy donors can influence Federal elections. By lifting any limits on these donations, this ruling has tainted our electoral process and how elections now take place. The lack of transparency surrounding the newly-formed Super-PACs allows special interests to donate unprecedented amounts of money to campaigns, as we are already witnessing in the 2012 Presidential Election.”

The summary of the bill can be found here:http://vanhollen.house.gov/UploadedFiles/DISCLOSE_Summary_020912.pdf.

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U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson is the highest-ranking Texan on the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure and a senior member of the Science Committee. She represents the 30th Congressional District of Texas, which, includes Downtown Dallas, Fair Park, Oak Lawn, Turtle Creek,Old East Dallas, Pleasant Grove, & South Oak Cliff; all of Balch Springs, DeSoto, Hutchins, Lancaster & Wilmer and parts of Cedar Hill, Duncanville, Ferris, Glenn Heights and Ovilla.