The Money Gag

PROPONENTS of campaign-spending limits are stuck between a rock and a hard place: the Constitution and reality.

It is impossible constitutionally to limit all campaign-related spending. The Supreme Court has been quite clear on this matter, most notably in the 1976 Buckley v. Valeo decision: “The First Amendment denies government the power to determine that spending to promote one’s political views is wasteful, excessive, or unwise. In the free society ordained by our Constitution it is not the government but the people-individually as citizens and candidates and collectively as associations and political committees-who must retain control over the quantity and range of debate on public issues in a political campaign.”

MM

About the Author

Mitch McConnell

Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) is the Senate Republican leader.

Featured Tags

PROPONENTS of campaign-spending limits are stuck between a rock and a hard place: the Constitution and reality.

It is impossible constitutionally to limit all campaign-related spending. The Supreme Court has been quite clear on this matter, most notably in the 1976 Buckley v. Valeo decision: “The First Amendment denies government the power to determine that spending to promote one’s political views is wasteful, excessive, or unwise. In the free society ordained by our Constitution it is not the government but the people-individually as citizens and candidates and collectively as associations and political committees-who must retain control over the quantity and range of debate on public issues in a political campaign.”