Senate Transparency Push Gets New GOP Allies

This story was published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers will soon float a bill requiring U.S. Senate candidates to electronically file campaign finance documents, the Center for Public Integrity has learned.

Known as the Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity Act, the bill — which the Congressional Budget Office estimates could save taxpayers about $500,000 a year — aims to sync the Senate with what’s currently required for U.S. House candidates, presidential candidates and political action committees.

Last year, the legislation was supported by more than half of the Senate, though it never received a vote on the Senate floor. This year, however, Rosenberg says, it could be even more challenging to pass the Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity Act.

“Considering we couldn’t get this bill passed when the Democrats had the majority, I’m not optimistic that we’ll get the bill passed now that Mitch McConnell is running the show,” she said.

While it is not required by law, some senators — mostly Democrats but also a few Republicans and the Senate’s two independents — choose to e-file copies of their campaign finance reports with the Federal Election Commission.

The Huffington Post