Sen. Paul: DISCLOSE Act 'Lopsided towards' Republican-leaning Donors; Away from Unions

Washington (GoinsReport.com) -- Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) told The Goins Report on Monday that the Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act of 2012, otherwise known as the DISCLOSE Act, in his office's analysis of the legislation is lopsided against people who tended to be Republican donors and shied away from union donors.

"In our analysis of the bill we felt like it was lopsided towards certain people that tended to be more republican donors and away from certain donors like union donors on the other side," Paul said.

"What I’ve proposed we ought to do, and I’ve talked to some of the Democrats about this, is the way to reform campaign finance would be, if you want to do it constitutionally, would be to link restrictions to federal contracts. So if you do business with the government and I give you a $100 million contract, I think we can legally restrict your activities by the contract. Because then you voluntarily sign the federal contract and we limit what you do. Anything other than that, unless its related to a contract, is a restriction of first amendment [rights] and I think its wrong," he continued.

While Paul voted against the DISCLOSE act on Monday, he did say that he is in favor of "some kind of campaign finance reform."

"I am for disclosing information," Paul told The Goins Report.

When asked whether he agreed with Senator Paul's view on the lopsidedness if the DISCLOSE act, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) expressed a similar view.

"It’s hard to get the ACLU and the NRA on the same sheet of music but they’re able to do it. It’s a bill that gives unions a preference when it comes to the DISCLOSE act and it was obviously not the solutions to the problems we face as a nation," Graham said.

The Goins Report further asked Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) whether he agreed with Senator Paul's view of the DISCLOSE act. His answer departed from his Republican Senate colleagues.

“I don’t think so at all. Matter a fact, I don’t know the numbers but I think before you can say that you got to go say, what’s the registration of all the top 200,000 tax filers in this country. And that’s the only way you’ll know that," Coburn said.

The DISCLOSE act was voted on early Monday evening in the Senate and was not passed with 54-44 vote. The bill needed at least 60 votes to pass.

The Senate is expected to vote again on the bill Tuesday afternoon (July 17).