The Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down limits on how much political parties can spend in coordination with candidates for Congress and president, striking down a federal election law that is more than 50 years old. This decision was made in response to a Republican-led lawsuit that includes Vice President JD Vance.
Background
The limits on party spending stem from a desire to prevent large donors from skirting caps on individual contributions to a candidate by directing unlimited sums to the party, with the understanding that the money will be spent on behalf of the candidate. The Supreme Court had previously upheld the limits, in 2001.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh, writing for the court, said that decision was wrong and should be overruled. “In short, constitutional text, history and precedent establish that the political-party coordinated-expenditure limits violate the First Amendment,” Kavanaugh wrote.
Reactions
Justice Elena Kagan’s dissent for the three liberal justices said the court “ushers in untold harm” by enabling parties to funnel large contributions to individual candidates, far in excess of what donors can give those candidates directly.
National parties now will be able to make direct contributions to candidates’ campaigns. The decision is likely to give Republicans at least a short-term boost because they maintain a sizable cash advantage over Democrats.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
