U.S. Chamber blasts motivation of Disclose Act

House and Senate Democrats unveiled legislation Thursday that would require disclosure of the top five organizations making contributions to the ad and any sponsor donating more than $1,000 would be reported to the Federal Election Commission within 24 hours of the money being spent. 

"What's most in need of disclosure is the real purpose behind this bill -- it's nothing more than a brazen attempt to tilt the playing field in favor of the incumbent party in this fall's elections, silence constitutionally protected speech and abridge First Amendment rights," said Tom Donohue, chamber president and CEO, said in a statement.

Donohue called it a "sad day" that bill sponsors Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) are putting "politics before the people's business," focusing on the fall elections rather than job creation. 

"This response is what you would expect from powerful special interests frantically working to defend their shadowy influence over our democracy and elections," Doug Thornell, spokesman for Van Hollen, told The Hill. 

"I'm not sure what their problem is with transparency, but clearly they are uncomfortable operating in sunlight." 

The bill targets leaders of labor unions, advocacy organizations and corporations that run campaign ads by requiring them to appear at the end of the commercial and announced that they sponsored the ad. 

"Though it comes wrapped in language of 'transparency,' the plain intent of the Schumer and Van Hollen legislation is to discourage people from exercising their constitutional right to free speech," said Theodore Olson, the Chamber's counsel.

"Stifling free speech is an abuse of the legislative process and is unconstitutional," Donohue said. "It will not stand. Free speech does not corrupt our politics, but efforts to limit it do."

The Committee on House Administration has jurisdiction over the bill and a hearing is planned for next week.