Fresh off defeat, Schumer to keep at ad spending

WASHINGTON — Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., vowed Tuesday to keep pressing for greater disclosure of corporate political spending, after his legislation to force more transparency fell short of the votes necessary to end debate on the Senate floor.

Despite efforts to reach out to Republicans, Mr. Schumer gained no GOP votes. The final tally was 57-41, missing the 60 votes necessary to end debate and vote on the measure.

Mr. Schumer's bill would require corporate and union chiefs to reveal their identity on camera on political ads, as politicians already do on campaign advertisements. It would restrict political spending by foreign-owned companies and bar companies receiving bailout funds through the Troubled Asset Relief Program from using that money on political ads.

"I fear for the future of the democracy," Mr. Schumer said at a press conference after the vote. "We're going to keep at it and keep at it and keep at it."

Critics of the bill, including Senate Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., complained that it was crafted in an overly secretive way, a charge Mr. Schumer denied, and that it restricts freedom.

The bill is a response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling asserting that corporations can spend unlimited amounts on political ads. The Supreme Court, in an 8 to 1 ruling, said limits on political spending infringe on political speech, although Democrats Tuesday also noted that the court majority endorsed more disclosure of corporate political spending.

"This decision by the court stacks the deck even higher against the average American," Mr. Schumer said in a speech on the Senate floor.

Republicans complained that the measure would infringe on free speech and create burdensome regulations for corporations that want to participate in politics.

"The supporters of this bill say it's about transparency," said Mr. McConnell in a statement. "To that, I say it's transparent alright. It's a transparent effort to rig the fall elections. And they're so intent on their goal that they're willing to launch an all-out assault on the First Amendment in order to get there."

Since introducing the bill in April, Mr. Schumer had made several changes to try to gain a few moderate Republican votes, including exempting the National Rifle Association from provisions and applying more restrictions to labor unions.

None of those efforts, however, attracted the GOP votes he needed. Key Republicans such as Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, voted against ending debate.

Mr. Schumer said he was disappointed but expected Tuesday's outcome. He would not say how he intends to gain the votes he needs — the primary task being to turn at least one Republican in favor. But he predicted that a combination of pressure from voters and fear of unlimited funding of "right wing" ads against moderate Republicans would turn some lawmakers in favor of more disclosure.

In Mr. Schumer's estimation, a handful of Republicans who might have supported the measure instead bailed out under their leadership's pressure.

Without congressional action, the bill's supporters said, this fall's elections will be flooded with corporate money, including from U.S. subsidiaries of foreign companies that might not even be identified in advertisements.

"It's appalling," Mr. Schumer said.