Apparently the decision to craft a special exemption for the National Rifle Association from the DISCLOSE Act’s onerous and intrusive speech restrictions is not sitting well with some, including the Sierra Club. From today’s The Hill:
Dems face backlash from liberal groups over NRA deal
House Democrats are facing a backlash from some liberal and government reform advocacy groups over an exemption for the National Rifle Association that was added to a campaign finance bill.
The U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) and the Sierra Club have told The Hill they will now oppose the Disclose Act, which Democrats are pushing as a response to the Supreme Court decision earlier this year that overturned limits on corporate and union contributions to political campaigns.
The opposition comes after Democrats agreed to a provision that would exempt the NRA and a few other large organizations from disclosure requirements that are central to the bill…
The Sierra Club, a leading environmental advocacy organization, had not taken a position on the Disclose Act before the NRA exemption was added. A spokesman, David Willett, said the group had concerns both with that provision and others that he said might limit the Club’s non-electoral grassroots activities…
The NRA carve-out, negotiated by gun rights supporters in Congress, would exempt organizations that have more than 1 million members, have existed for more than 10 years and raise a maximum of 15 percent of their contributions from corporations.
Sponsors of the DISCLOSE Act claim that their efforts to pry open the membership and donor lists of private organizations are to prevent “fly by night” organizations, which we’d assumed meant groups that form late in the campaign cycle and run ads without disclosing their donors (this really isn’t very feasible, but that’s another issue).
Apparently the Sierra Club, with 750,000 dues-paying members and 118 years of existence, is not amused that they are considered a “fly by night” group.
It’s hard to know how this will affect the bill’s future, but it is entirely possible that the ‘Shotgun Sellout’ will wind up losing more votes than it gains.
