Obama Calls for Campaign Finance Reforms

VOA News 01 May 2010

Photo: AP

President Barack Obama, 29 Apr 2010 (file photo)

U.S. President Barack Obama is calling for reforms to counter a recent Supreme Court ruling that allows corporations to spend unlimited money in U.S. political campaigns.

In his weekly address, Mr. Obama said Congress should consider new measures that prevent companies and other special interests from, in his words, "gaining even more clout in Washington."

Mr. Obama proposed reforms that force political campaign committees to reveal their sources of funding.  He also said whenever a corporation pays for a campaign ad, a major figure from that corporation should appear in the ad and claim responsibility for it.

Mr. Obama called for restrictions on campaign spending by foreign companies and foreign nationals.

The U.S. Supreme Court in January struck down long-standing limits on corporate spending in political campaigns.  The opinion signed by a majority of Justices stated that corporations have the same right to free speech as citizens, and that previous campaign finance laws were unconstitutional.