Republicans Are Preparing to Trample on the Constitution
Republicans Make "Breath-Taking Assault On First Amendment Free Speech Rights" With 527 Legislation
Club Key Vote Alert Scores "NO" Votes On House, Senate 527 Bills
Washington, D.C. -- With House and Senate Republicans proposing to dramatically reduce First Amendment protections of political speech, the Club for Growth, the nation's leading free-market advocacy organization with over 35,000 members, announced that it would be "key voting" ANY bill that contains restrictions on free speech by dramatically infringing on the rights of 527 organizations and urging House members and Senators to oppose them.
The Club for Growth announced it will also count efforts to co-sponsor and/or sign letters on behalf of this type of free speech restriction.
"Legislation to alter the state of 527s is a breathtaking assault on First Amendment free speech rights and would deprive Club members of their constitutional right to association," said Club for Growth President Pat Toomey. "Republicans may think they are making a wise political move, but subverting the Constitution to make political gains is inexcusable."
The House and Senate are offering unprecedented proposals (HR 4975 and S 1053) that would ban any ads placed anywhere at any time in any kind of medium by a 527 group unless sponsored by a highly-regulated PAC. If passed, money currently donated to 527s will instead flow to other nonprofit groups and business associations where less disclosure requirements will allow it to be hidden from the public disclosure currently mandated for 527 groups.
"The irony is that shutting down 527s in the name of transparency and accountability will only result in funds shifting to organizations with less disclosure requirements," continued Toomey.
"Free speech is vital to a healthy debate on public policies," Toomey concluded. "The Club for Growth encourages lawmakers to oppose any measure that jeopardizes this basic right."
The Club for Growth Congressional Scorecard for the 109th Congress provides a comprehensive rating of how well or how poorly each member of Congress supports pro-growth, free-market policies and will be distributed to the more than 35,000 Club members and the voting public.
