Supreme Court will consider ending limits on party campaign spending

The Supreme Court agreed on Monday to consider a challenge on limitations around coordinated party campaign spending.

The case, National Republican Senatorial Committee v. Federal Election Commission, asks the justices to consider whether the federal law limiting coordinated spending violates the First Amendment.

“A political party exists to get its candidates elected,” the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) wrote in its petition. “Yet Congress has severely restricted how much parties can spend on their own campaign advertising if done in cooperation with those very candidates.”

The lawsuit was initially filed in 2022 by now-Vice President JD Vance and former Republican Ohio Rep. Steve Chabot.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) indicated in May that it would not defend the restrictions.

“The Department of Justice has a longstanding policy of defending challenged federal statutes but has determined that this is the rare case that warrants an exception to that general approach,” Solicitor General John Sauer wrote in the brief. “This case involves a campaign-finance restriction that violates core First Amendment rights—a type of restriction that has previously led the government to file a brief expressing skepticism of the constitutionality of a federal statute.”

NRSC Chairman Tim Scott and NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson said the government “should not restrict a party committee’s support for its own candidates” in a statement.

“These coordinated expenditure limits violate the First Amendment, and we appreciate the Court’s decision to hear our case,” the chairmen said. “Coordinated spending continues to be a critical part of winning campaigns, and the NRSC and NRCC will ensure we are in the strongest possible position to win in 2026 and beyond.”