Opponents of Grassroots Lobbying Disclosure are Wrong about Impact on Nonprofits

PRESS STATEMENT
-For Immediate Release-
January 12, 2007

Contact: Brian Gumm, (202) 234-8494, bgumm@ombwatch.org [1]

Opponents of Grassroots Lobbying Disclosure are Wrong about Impact on Nonprofits

Bennett Amendment to Strike Provision Should be Opposed

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2007—Public statements by some opponents of a provision in S. 1, the Senate ethics and lobby reform bill that would bring transparency to big money grassroots lobbying campaigns, have misled many nonprofits into believing the proposal is an effort to silence criticism of Congress and a plot by liberals to keep conservative viewpoints from being heard.

"Nothing could be further from the truth," said Gary D. Bass, Executive Director of OMB Watch. "Disclosure of big dollar grassroots campaigns will bring transparency to the process, so the public will know who speakers are and whose interests they represent."

The truth is:

• This is not a liberal vs. conservative issue. It is a transparency issue.
  Without disclosure of big money spending on grassroots campaigns to influence federal legislation, the public has no way of knowing who is behind a particular message.


• The proposed disclosure requirement does NOT restrict speech in any way.
  It only requires some lobby firms, advertisers and lobbyists that exceed significant dollar thresholds to let the public know who they are representing. Nonprofits have been disclosing lobbying costs to the federal and state governments for decades without any restriction on what they can say or how often they can say it. This provision does not change that.


• The provision only applies to federal grassroots lobbying costs.
  Statements by the Free Speech Coalition and American Target Advertising, Inc. are so general that some nonprofits think the provision applies to all grassroots lobbying costs. These critics should be clear and accurate about what the provision would do.


• The voice of small nonprofits cannot be heard over the din of mass media grassroots campaigns carried out by firms hired by private industry.
  The "Astroturf" groups hide behind warm and fuzzy sounding coalition names, and the public does not know whose interests are being represented. Disclosure will help level the political playing field, which can only benefit small nonprofits, whatever their ideology or philosophy.

Despite these facts, Sen. Bob Bennett (R-UT) has introduced an amendment to strip the grassroots lobbying disclosure provision from S. 1. The Lobbying Disclosure Act and the Senate proposal are complex, and reasonable minds can and have differed about what the bill will do. But since the sponsors of grassroots lobbying disclosure have clearly stated that their intention is to limit the impact to big dollar advertising and lobby firms, critics would do better to propose clarifications rather than use scare tactics and read evil intentions into the bill. OMB Watch has submitted a proposed revision to the sponsors that we think clears up any confusion.

"Nonprofits should oppose Bennett's amendment to strip grassroots lobbying disclosure from S. 1, and support transparency and a level political playing field," said Bass.

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