Campaign Spending Limits Fall

The Supreme Court struck down federal limits on how much political parties may spend in coordination with candidates for Congress and president, ruling 6-3 along ideological lines that the decades-old restrictions violate First Amendment rights. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote for the conservative majority in National Republican Senatorial Committee v. Federal Election Commission, while the court’s three liberal justices dissented. The decision wipes out Watergate-era coordinated-expenditure caps from the Federal Election Campaign Act and gives national party committees far greater freedom to direct money into races alongside their chosen candidates. The ruling is expected to reshape campaign strategy ahead of the midterms and is widely seen as a significant victory for Republicans, including Vice President JD Vance, who helped bring the challenge.