Obama to Senate: Adopt DISCLOSE Act

WASHINGTON, July 26 (UPI) -- President Barack Obama Monday warned the United States cannot allow special interests to have undue influence over the government.

Obama, speaking in advance of a scheduled Tuesday Senate vote on the DISCLOSE Act, warned large corporations, including foreign-controlled ones, can buy millions of dollars in ads now without revealing who is behind them, thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court decision earlier this year lifting restrictions on third-party ads.

"These shadow groups are already forming and building war chests of tens of millions of dollars to influence the fall elections," Obama said.

The DISCLOSE Act, which requires corporate political advertisers to disclose who provides their funding, is opposed by the Republican leadership, which has prevented the measure from coming up for a vote.

"At a time of such challenge for America, we can't afford these political games," Obama said in urging Senate action. "Millions of Americans are struggling to get by, and their voices shouldn't be drowned out by millions of dollars in secret, special interest advertising. The American people's voices should be heard.

"A vote to oppose these reforms is nothing less than a vote to allow corporate and special interest takeovers of our elections. It is damaging to our democracy."

He added: "This should not be a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. This is an issue that goes to whether or not we're going to have a government that works for ordinary Americans; a government of, by and for the people."

Obama also was to mark the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act in an event at the White House Monday, his daily calendar indicated.

The ADA is a wide-ranging civil rights law that bars, under certain circumstances, discrimination based on disability.