Wicker, Cochran lead bipartisan bill to bring transparency to Senate campaign filings

Candidates for Senate seats would be required to electronically file election reports with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) under legislation introduced by U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Thad Cochran (R-MS) last week.

Senate campaign committees are currently the only federal political committees that are not required to file electronic statements and reports directly with the FEC.

“Filing Senate campaign reports electronically is a simple, efficient and cost-effective approach that is long-overdue,” Wicker said. “The Senate needs to get with the times. Sen. Cochran should be commended for his continued leadership on this issue.”

Cochran and U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) coauthored the bipartisan Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity Act, while Wicker was an original co-sponsor of the legislation.

“Electronic filing of campaign reports would improve efficiency, increase transparency, and reduce costs for taxpayers,” Cochran said. “This commonsense, bipartisan legislation can help bring the Senate’s rules in line with modern technology.”

The change in campaign filing requirements would save taxpayers an estimated $500,000 in copying and delivery costs associated with paper reports that are currently filed with the Secretary of the Senate, the Congressional Budget Office reports.

The bill would require Senate campaign committees to follow the same filing rules that House candidates, presidential candidates, non-Senate party candidates, PACs and 528 organizations have followed since 2001.