FECA
1971 US statute governing federal campaign finance; its coordinated-spending caps were struck down in 2026.
On 30 June, the Supreme Court struck down FECA’s caps on coordinated party spending, ending limits that had governed party-candidate spending in federal elections.
Last refreshed: 24 September 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Will the Supreme Court gut the 50-year-old campaign finance law in June 2026?
Timeline for FECA
Mentioned in: Supreme Court keeps parties' ad discount
US Midterms 2026Mentioned in: NRCC keeps House cash lead over DCCC
US Midterms 2026Lost its party coordinated-spending limits to the ruling
US Midterms 2026: Court lifts caps on party spendingMentioned in: DCCC banks record quarter on borrowed time
US Midterms 2026Provided the coordinated-spending cap provisions challenged in NRSC v. FEC
US Midterms 2026: Court ruling could break the firewallBackground
FECA is the 1971 United States statute governing federal campaign finance. Its framework regulates the financing of federal elections and gives the Federal Election Commission a central enforcement role. The law remains relevant because its remaining rules still shape how candidates, parties and political committees raise and disclose money.
Congress substantially amended FECA in 1974 after Watergate. In Buckley v. Valeo in 1976, the Supreme Court preserved contribution limits and disclosure rules while invalidating broad expenditure limits. That judgement established the constitutional boundary within which FECA has operated. the Court’s 30 June 2026 decision removed its coordinated party-spending caps, but it did not erase FECA’s wider role in federal campaign-finance law.
FECA loses its coordination caps
On 30 June, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in NRSC v. FEC to strike down FECA limits on coordinated party-candidate spending. The former limits could reach $4m in a Senate race, so the ruling removed a central restriction on how party committees could work directly with their candidates.
The immediate test is how much of federal campaign spending moves into the newly permitted channel. By 20 September, the NRCC reported $7.68m in coordinated spending with House candidates during August, while the DCCC reported $4.09m. Those figures show FECA’s altered rules becoming part of the 2026 midterm contest rather than remaining a court-room change.
FECA loses its coordination caps
Are FECA's coordinated-spending caps still in effect?
What would happen to super PACs if FECA's coordinated spending caps are struck down?
What is the NRSC challenge to FECA about?
Reference
When was the Federal Election Campaign Act passed and why?
What is the Federal Election Campaign Act and what does it regulate?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 24 September 2026. Editorial standards.