Says Committee Vote Prohibiting President from Requiring Government Contractors to Disclose Campaign Contributions Is an Insult to Voters

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-Palo Alto) led 39 of her House colleagues in a letter urging the President to issue an Executive Order that would require corporations and companies that have contracts with the federal government to disclose campaign contributions. Eshoo and other members expressed concern about reports that a major presidential "super PAC" has accepted large contributions from government contractors, an act long considered impermissible under "pay to play" laws.

The letter to the President follows House Oversight and Government Reform Committee passage of H.R. 2008, a bill that would prohibit requiring political disclosure from any company doing business with a federal agency before, during or after contract performance.

"When any government contractor makes a political expenditure, taxpayers should know about it," Rep. Eshoo said. "This House bill represents the opposite of what voters are demanding—disclosure and transparency. Companies doing business with the federal government receive more than $500 billion in taxpayer money each year. With public money, comes public responsibility to be fully transparent. Instead, House Republicans are working to keep the lid on transparency and disclosure. Today's Committee vote on H.R. 2008 is the latest example."

The letter Rep. Eshoo and her colleagues sent to the President can be found below.

Background

Rep. Eshoo has led the effort to secure an Executive Order requiring full political disclosure from all companies doing business with the federal government. She has offered four separate amendments to FY2012 appropriations bills on the House floor that would require this, all of which were blocked from consideration by Republicans.

In July 2011, Rep. Eshoo led 62 House Democrats in writing to President Obama to request an Executive Order requiring such transparency.

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4.26.12_Letter_to_President_on_Disclosure_Executive_Order.pdf