WASHINGTON—Legislation that would force greater disclosure of the political donations funding corporate and union campaign advertisements failed a key test vote in the Senate on Tuesday.
Democrats were unable to muster the 60 votes needed to s
hut off a GOP-led filibuster holding up action on the measure, which is backed by President Barack Obama.
The 57-41 vote broke along party lines. The vote could signal death—at least in the current Congress—of legislation meant to blunt the impact of a landmark Supreme Court ruling in January that struck down major portions of campaign-finance laws designed to limit the influence of special interests in political campaigns.
Among other things, the legislation would force companies and labor unions to disclose more information about their campaign contributors and spending on elections.
Republicans complained that the legislation would hurt GOP candidates because it could discourage companies from funding campaign advertisements to benefit Republicans. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) charged that the bill represented a “transparent effort to rig the fall election for the Democrats.”
Democrats vowed to continue fighting for the legislation, complaining that the court ruling had opened the door for corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence campaigns.
“We will be back to this bill again and again and again, until we pass it,” said Sen. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.).
But unless Democrats show some willingness to make accommodations that bring at least one Republican on board, the issue is likely to remain stalled for the balance of the year. Pressure for action is not likely to build again until next year, once lawmakers have had a chance to assess the impact of the court decision on campaigns, including their own.
The legislation is opposed by many of the largest interest groups across the political spectrum.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce says the legislation is an “assault on First Amendment rights” because, in the group’s view, it imposes restrictions on free-speech rights of corporations.
Labor unions such as the AFL-CIO and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees called on Democrats to vote against the legislation, in part because of the added paperwork burden imposed on the unions. “AFSCME shares the goal of greater transparency, but not at the expense of imposing impossible burdens on local unions,” wrote Charles Loveless, AFSCME’s director of legislation, in a letter sent to senators
