Supreme Court to hear GOP's challenge to political party spending limits

The Supreme Court will weigh during its next term whether limits on political party spending in coordination with candidates for federal office run afoul of the First Amendment.

In an order issued Monday without comment, the justices said they will hear the case of National Republican Senatorial Committee v. Federal Election Commission in their term that begins in October.

The dispute was brought by Republicans, who argue it is a violation of the First Amendment to limit a political party’s coordination with its candidates.

“A political party exists to get its candidates elected. Yet Congress has severely restricted how much parties can spend on their own campaign advertising if done in cooperation with those very candidates,” the GOP petition read.

The court noted the Democratic National Committee can intervene in the dispute.

The Federal Elections Commission, meanwhile, told the justices in a filing in May that it agreed there were free-speech concerns with limiting the party funding.

“The government agrees with petitioners that the challenged statute abridges the freedom of speech under this Court’s recent First Amendment and campaign-finance precedents,” read the FEC’s filing.

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had likewise acknowledged there were First Amendment concerns but, based on precedent, ruled against the National Republican Senatorial Committee. That precedent had recognized Congress’s authority to limit donations based on concerns of corruption and donor influence.

The justices wrapped up the 2024-2025 term on Friday and will return in October to begin the 2025-2026 term, which will run through next summer.