{ "id": "R42042", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "R42042", "active": false, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 587689, "date": "2016-09-16", "retrieved": "2020-01-02T17:25:50.077604", "title": "Super PACs in Federal Elections: Overview and Issues for Congress", "summary": "Super PACs emerged after the U.S. Supreme Court permitted unlimited corporate and union spending on elections in January 2010 (Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission). Although not directly addressed in that case, related, subsequent litigation (SpeechNow v. Federal Election Commission) and Federal Election Commission (FEC) activity gave rise to a new form of political committee. These entities, known as super PACs or independent-expenditure-only committees (IEOCs), may accept unlimited contributions and make unlimited expenditures aimed at electing or defeating federal candidates. Super PACs may not contribute funds directly to federal candidates or parties. Super PACs must report their donors to the FEC, although the original source of contributed funds\u2014for super PACs and other entities\u2014is not necessarily disclosed.\nThis report provides an overview of policy issues surrounding super PAC activity in federal elections. Congress has not amended the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) to recognize formally the role of super PACs. The FEC issued rules in 2014 to reflect their presence. The most substantial policy guidance about super PACs occurred through advisory opinions that the agency issued in 2010 and 2011 after the Citizens United and SpeechNow decisions.\nVarious issues related to super PACs may be relevant as Congress considers how or whether to pursue legislation or oversight on the topic. These include relationships with other political committees and organizations, transparency, and independence from campaigns. Throughout the post-Citizens United period, relatively few bills have been devoted specifically to super PACs, although some bills would address aspects of super PAC disclosure requirements or coordination with campaigns or other groups. As of this writing, relevant legislation in the 114th Congress includes H.R. 424, H.R. 425, H.R. 430, H.R. 5494, S. 6, S. 229, S. 1838, and S. 3250.\nSince their inception during the 2010 election cycle, super PACs have raised and spent more than $2 billion. Although the number of these groups has increased rapidly, only a few groups typically dominate most super PAC spending. Super PACs can emerge and disappear intermittently; groups that are active one election cycle may be diminished or absent in the next. In some cases, super PACs have formed to support single candidates and have featured few donors.\nFor those advocating their use, super PACs represent freedom for individuals, corporations, and unions to contribute as much as they wish for independent expenditures that advocate election or defeat of federal candidates. Opponents of super PACs contend that they represent a threat to the spirit of modern limits on campaign contributions designed to minimize potential corruption.\nThis report will be updated periodically to reflect major policy developments.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R42042", "sha1": "06d3268aec81a8e3e7a4dbf61e827cc19948866f", "filename": "files/20160916_R42042_06d3268aec81a8e3e7a4dbf61e827cc19948866f.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R42042_files&id=/2.png": "files/20160916_R42042_images_38f6468ef0ff43cde04e0c8c6353a0201f1cefb7.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R42042_files&id=/3.png": "files/20160916_R42042_images_184cb850e843f565d9575f08969063b957c42db4.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R42042_files&id=/1.png": "files/20160916_R42042_images_81f34cd1313275ffddb181528a84c1d52d7edbaa.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R42042_files&id=/0.png": "files/20160916_R42042_images_e7f8f6edf82be31aa7aff61ff7f63055f201e488.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R42042", "sha1": "8528f17b5405db3e3f6692d3f19c53f3d8794d39", "filename": "files/20160916_R42042_8528f17b5405db3e3f6692d3f19c53f3d8794d39.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 419286, "date": "2013-04-04", "retrieved": "2016-04-06T21:15:50.281736", "title": "Super PACs in Federal Elections: Overview and Issues for Congress", "summary": "Super PACs emerged after the U.S. Supreme Court permitted unlimited corporate and union spending on elections in January 2010 (Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission). Although not directly addressed in that case, related, subsequent litigation (SpeechNow v. Federal Election Commission) and Federal Election Commission (FEC) activity gave rise to a new form of political committee. These entities, known as super PACs or independent-expenditure-only committees (IEOCs), have been permitted to accept unlimited contributions and make unlimited expenditures aimed at electing or defeating federal candidates. Super PACs may not contribute funds directly to federal candidates or parties.\nThis report explores what super PACs are, how they developed, and what they raised and spent in the 2010 and 2012 election cycles. As of this writing, Congress has not amended the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) to recognize formally the role of super PACs. No legislation introduced thus far in the 113th Congress focuses specifically on super PACs, but some bills contain relevant provisions. H.R. 270 (Price, N.C.) would bar super PAC fundraising by federal candidates and officeholders. The latest version of the DISCLOSE Act, H.R. 148 (Van Hollen), proposes new disclaimer requirements that would apply to ads funded by super PACs and other entities. At the agency level, the FEC has issued advisory opinions, but has not yet approved regulations governing super PACs.\nDespite limited policy action on super PACs, these new entities are quickly occupying a major place in federal elections. In just 10 months of operation in 2010, almost 80 super PACs emerged, spending a total of approximately $90 million\u2014more than $60 million of which went to elect or defeat federal candidates through independent expenditures. Super PAC activity increased sharply in 2012; more than 400 active super PACs spent more than $600 million directly supporting or opposing candidates. Various issues related to super PACs may be relevant as Congress considers how or whether to pursue legislation or oversight on the topic. These include relationships with other political committees and organizations, transparency, and independence from campaigns.\nFor those advocating their use, super PACs represent freedom for individuals, corporations, and unions to contribute as much as they wish for independent expenditures that advocate election or defeat of federal candidates. Opponents of super PACs contend that they represent a threat to the spirit of modern limits on campaign contributions designed to minimize potential corruption.\nThis report will be updated periodically to reflect major developments.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R42042", "sha1": "bf2c26cb5423c01299260ba571654b5840086ea4", "filename": "files/20130404_R42042_bf2c26cb5423c01299260ba571654b5840086ea4.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R42042", "sha1": "5e5a1026158b8d95736b95fd8a9bc3b089aa73cb", "filename": "files/20130404_R42042_5e5a1026158b8d95736b95fd8a9bc3b089aa73cb.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 529, "name": "Campaign Finance" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc227731/", "id": "R42042_2012Sep12", "date": "2012-09-12", "retrieved": "2013-11-05T18:07:05", "title": "Super PACs in Federal Elections: Overview and Issues for Congress", "summary": "Report exploring super Political Action Committees, what they are, how they developed, how much they raised and spent during the 2010 election cycle, and a preliminary analysis of the 2012 cycle.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20120912_R42042_bc11adeeabbe91f2588e35a351eb97dcb147256c.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20120912_R42042_bc11adeeabbe91f2588e35a351eb97dcb147256c.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Campaign funds", "name": "Campaign funds" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Elections", "name": "Elections" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Campaign contributors", "name": "Campaign contributors" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc812818/", "id": "R42042_2011Dec02", "date": "2011-12-02", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "\u201cSuper PACs\u201d in Federal Elections: Overview and Issues for Congress", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20111202_R42042_39c55a7cd4c87a5fa92af3cdf01dd95a1137a580.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20111202_R42042_39c55a7cd4c87a5fa92af3cdf01dd95a1137a580.html" } ], "topics": [] } ], "topics": [ "American Law" ] }