Representative Van Hollen reintroduced the DISCLOSE Act in the House, marking his continued support for legislation that would shine a light on dark money. After the torrent of secret money that infiltrated the 2012 elections, the disclosure bill should be a no brainer. Van Hollen and Democratic sponsors of the House DISCLOSE Act get that, but unfortunately no House Republican is yet willing to concede that the public has the right to know who is paying for their elections.

Over in the Senate, one Republican has acknowledged the need for better disclosure of election related spending by outside groups. Sen. Lisa Murkowski has joined Sen. Ron Wyden in offering a proposal for greater transparency. Given the recalcitrance of Republicans—especially Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell—on this issue, Senator Murkowski must be credited for her willingness to take a stand on making money in politics more transparent. We hope that her leadership will encourage more of her Republican colleagues to follow and that she and Senator Wyden will join forces with Senator Whitehouse—the champion of the DISCLOSE Act in the Senate—in an effort to get a robust disclosure bill through that chamber.