Have you ever wondered who's behind these political attack ads we're seeing on television lately? The ads I'm referring to are by some group you've never heard of before, carefully designed to tug on your heart strings and, even worse, frighten you.

In a report released by the public watchdog group Public Citizen last week, the truth behind the anonymous attack ads on prescription drugs emerged. You know the ads, a sweet, elderly lady, "Flo," raves that "big government" is "in your medicine cabinet." The report reveals that the group behind the ads, Citizens for a Better Medicare, is really the pharmaceutical companies using scare tactics.

Here on Long Island there are quite a few ads aimed at candidates airing now. To avoid the mudslinging touted by these ads, take a moment to think about a few things. First, is the ad truthful or does it seem to make wild claims that aren't substantiated. Second, try to figure out what group is behind the ad - have you heard of them before? If not, chances are the group is not as neutral as the ad portrays.

I am working on a bill in Congress that would put the brakes on the secretive, devious practices of "Section 527" political committees that have been largely responsible for the proliferation of the anonymous attack ads. Known as "Stealth PACs" these groups don't have to disclose their donors and there are no contribution limits because of a loophole allowing them to organize under the federal tax code. That means that one rich company or special interest group can dump millions and millions of dollars into attack ads.

This bill would subject 527s to the same disclosure requirements as political committees and candidates. The American people deserve to know who is trying to influence the political process. The fact that this loophole exists for anonymous money just fuels public cynicism about the democratic process.

I have fought for campaign finance reform in the past, and I will in the future. I worked hard on the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act, the most comprehensive, bipartisan and effective reform legislation which, ultimately, passed the House.

This bill will not cure all the ills of the campaign finance system but, instead, represents a very important and necessary principle - full disclosure of political activity. Congress can and should rise to meet this challenge.

This election year we need to be vigilant. Ask yourself who paid for the ad and spend a moment wondering if you're learning the whole truth. Let's don't let negative campaigning ruin our elections.