DISCLOSE Act Up For Tuesday Vote

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: National Journal Hotine

In an unexpected step, Senate Maj. Leader Harry Reid filed cloture late Thursday night on a motion to proceed to a closely watched campaign finance bill.

Reid's move forces a 2:45pm Tuesday vote on whether to move to the DISCLOSE Act, a bill imposing new campaign finance regulations in response to the Supreme Court's controversial Citizens United v. FEC ruling, which threw out limits on spending by corporations and unions to influence elections.

The bill, a version of which has passed the House after Dems excluded the powerful National Rifle Association from new regulations, is a priority for Dems in both chambers. The bill, however, appears to face unified opposition from GOPers in the Senate and potential opposition from a few Dems -- largely thanks to the NRA carve-out.

That means the cloture vote, which requires backing from 60 senators to succeed, is likely to fall short. Dems could then point to the vote as another instance of Senate GOPers obstructing Dem plans. Reid's cloture filing came at around 11pm Thursday night after a series of votes and procedural disputes snarled the Senate for hours.

Read more: http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2010/07/disclose_act_up.php