ACTION ALERT - STOP HR 5175 - The DISCLOSE Act

lonelantern — June 14, 2010 — http://RestoreTheRepublic.com | http://RealityReport.tv | A new bill is about the change the face of politics forever. The "Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections Act" or the DISCLOSE Act, should be renamed the "Stifling Grassroots Political Support and Removing Political Privacy Bill". This act affects ALL people and organizations. The bill, Sponsored by Maryland Representative Chris Van Hollen has moved out of committee and currently has 114 Cosponsors. It is on its way to the House floor for a vote.

HR 5175, is written to ensure freedom groups cannot rally their members in the upcoming elections by placing erroneous report in mandates on them and by forcing them to disclose their membership rosters and donor lists. These mandates apply to individuals and groups which make independent donations or promote their favored candidate outside the realm of the official campaigns, namely Grassroots activism.

HR 5175 Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971

Title I, Section 103 of the bill defines "contributions" as: ;

- any payments by any person (except a candidate, a candidate's authorized committee, or a political committee of a political party) for "coordinated communications"

What are "coordinated communications"? Section 103 clarifies:

- a publicly distributed or disseminated communication referring to a clearly identified candidate for federal office which is made during a specified election period in cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate, a candidate's authorized committee, or a political committee of a political party; - any communication that republishes, disseminates, or distributes, in whole or in part, any broadcast or any written, graphic, or other form of campaign material prepared by a candidate, a candidate's authorized committee, or their agents.

So, Title one changes the terms of a contribution to mean a donation by the average American, or political grassroots supporter to an unaffiliated organization who intends to act on merely a suggestion of a candidate.

Title 2: Subtitle A, Sec. 201

Revises the definition of "independent expenditure" in the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to mean:

- an expenditure that, when taken as a whole, expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate, or is the functional equivalent of express advocacy.

- Requires any person making "independent expenditures" exceeding $10,000 must file a report electronically within 24 hours or if you make an "independent expenditure" over $1,000 less than 20 days before an election.

Meaning if you or your organization pay for a billboard, take out an ad or promote your own on-line web campaign for or against a candidate that exceeds $10,000 or $1000 20 days before a campaign, you will have to file a report with the FEC within 24 hours.

Title III: Sec. 301

- Requires organizations to disclose to shareholders, members, or donors information on disbursements for campaign-related activity.

- Requires organizations that maintain an Internet site to post a hyperlink from its homepage to the location on the FEC website containing information required to be reported with respect to public independent expenditures, including disbursements for electioneering communications.

What this means is the Government wants to create a list of all people who donate to all organizations who support political campaigns so they can post it on the FEC website, then the organization has to link to the respective information, on the FEC website, from their site.

This will be an excellent way to build a list and keep track of political opponents for future targeting and harassment. HR 5175 only creates one more list, alongside the other lists the government keeps like the terrorist watch list and the no-fly list.

So, what do we need to do? It's time to rally the troops and TAKE ACTION! Please urge your congressman to vote against HR 5175. http://www.contactingthecongress.org/

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