Legislative efforts to combat the Supreme Court’s disastrous Citizen’s United decision, which opened the door to unlimited, secretive spending by shadowy groups, have been having a tough time getting past corporate lobbyists and Republicans in Congress. First, Congress failed to pass the DISCLOSE Act, which would have shed light on the secretive groups that funnel corporate money into American politics. Then, last April they put up such a fuss about a leaked executive order that would require federal contractors to disclose their political spending that the order was put on hold.

Now, another effort to bring some accountability back into post-Citizens United elections is meeting with a predictable response. As reported by Mother Jones, Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) introduced an amendment last Thursday to a defense authorization bill that would legislatively accomplish the proposed Executive Order’s goals. However, such proposals have been criticized by Republicans in Congress such as Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) for attempting to politicize the contract procurement process. Such critics are missing the point, as Rep. Eshoo points out, because “When contractors can spend money in elections, the contracting process is already politicized.”