Edited by Chris Graham
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Adding his voice to the chorus backing the NRA on a controversial exemption to campaign-finance reform legislation today was Fifth District Democratic Congressman Tom Perriello.
“The DISCLOSE Act is about taking control of our politics away from corporate front groups and handing it back to the people. The NRA, with its 4 million dues-paying members, is the epitome of people-powered politics, and they deserve to have their voices heard in elections,” Perriello said in a statement released on Thursday.
Bloggers on both sides of the aisle have been raising issue with the exemption for the NRA in DISCLOSE. The exemption excludes organizations that have more than 1 million members, have existed for more than 10 years, and receive no more than 15 percent of their contributions from corporations.
“Maybe liberal groups and the Wall Street Journal don’t understand that for over 125 years, the NRA has represented millions of everyday Americans who are passionate about the freedoms afforded us under the Second Amendment and want to hold our elected officials accountable to those standards,” Perriello said.
“Liberals may not like the NRA’s beliefs but they should admire their people-powered organizing. Our democracy should respect the difference between a group with 4 million members and a corporate front group writing a $4 million check. This bill is not about favoring groups with a particular belief, but about handing our democracy back to the people,” Perriello said.
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