LISTEN LIVE: The Supreme Court is considering a Republican appeal to end limits on party spending in federal elections

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is considering a Republican-led push, backed by President Donald Trump’s administration, to overturn a quarter-century-old decision and erase limits on how much political parties can spend in coordination with congressional candidates and the president.

Oral arguments begin at 10 a.m. EST. Listen live in the player above.

A day after the justices signaled they would overturn a 90-year-old decision limiting the president’s power to fire the heads of independent agencies, the court on Tuesday is revisiting a 2001 decision that upheld a provision of federal election law that is more than 50 years old.

Democrats are calling on the court to uphold the law.

These limits stem from a desire to prevent major donors from exceeding a candidate’s individual contribution caps by directing unlimited amounts to the party, with the understanding that the money will be spent on behalf of the candidate.

He watches: Supreme Court hears arguments about Trump’s power over independent agencies

The Federal Election Commission and the Republican Party say the court should view the limits with skepticism, consistent with recent Supreme Court decisions. Led by Chief Justice John Roberts, the conservative majority overturned a variety of restrictions Congress had imposed on raising and spending money to influence elections. The court’s 2010 Citizens United decision opened the door to unlimited independent spending in federal elections.

After the Trump administration joined Republicans in asking the court to overturn the campaign finance law, the justices appointed a lawyer to defend him.

Roman Martinez, an experienced Supreme Court lawyer, offers the justices a way out of the case without deciding anything. Instead, they should make the issue moot now that the FEC has agreed with Republicans that the law is unconstitutional and that there is no “credible risk” that the agency will try to enforce it, Martinez wrote.

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The Republican committees for House and Senate candidates filed the lawsuit in Ohio in 2022, and were joined by two Ohio Republicans in Congress, who were then senators. J.D. Vance, current Vice President, then Rep. Steve Chabot.

In 2025, coordinated party spending for Senate races ranges from $127,200 in several states with small populations to nearly $4 million in California. For House races, the limits are $127,200 in states with only one representative and $63,600 everywhere else.