This proposed constitutional amendment would give Congress and the states the power to regulate money in elections — including setting limits on campaign contributions and spending, creating public campaign financing systems, and distinguishing between real people and corporations when it comes to election spending. If ratified, it would effectively override the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision, which ruled that the government can't restrict independent political spending by corporations and unions. The amendment would need two-thirds support in both chambers and ratification by three-fourths of the states to take effect. It explicitly protects freedom of the press.
Civil Liberties
- Political-spending protections under current First Amendment doctrine — Constitutional authority restored for Congress and states to set viewpoint-neutral contribution and expenditure limits
- Corporate political-expenditure rights — Congress and states authorized to distinguish natural persons from corporations and to prohibit corporate election spending
- Press-freedom protection — Article expressly preserves freedom of the press from any new regulatory authority
Transparency & Accountability
- Public-financing authority for campaigns — Congress and states authorized to enact public campaign-financing systems, including offsets for private wealth
Congressional Summary
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment authorizing Congress and the states to (1) regulate and impose reasonable viewpoint-neutral limitations on the raising and spending of money by candidates and others to influence elections; and (2) regulate and enact public campaign financing systems, including those designed to restrict the influence of private wealth by offsetting the raising and spending of money by candidates and others with increased public funding. The amendment grants Congress and the states the power to implement and enforce this amendment by legislation. They are allowed to distinguish between natural persons and corporations or other artificial entities created by law, including by prohibiting such entities from spending money to influence elections.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2025-09-17
- Date Added
- 2026-04-09
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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