1、Congressional Research Service The Library of CongressCRS Report for CongressReceived through the CRS WebOrder Code RS21551June 20, 2003Campaign Finance: Issues Before the U.S.Supreme Court in McConnell v. FECname redactedLegislative AttorneyAmerican Law DivisionSummaryShortly after the Bipartisan C
2、ampaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA), P.L. 107-155(H.R. 2356, 107th Cong.) was enacted in March 2002 (also known as the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform legislation), Senator Mitch McConnell and othersfiled suit in U.S. District Court for D.C. against the Federal Election Commission (FEC)and the
3、 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) arguing that provisions of the laware unconstitutional. Ultimately, eleven suits challenging BCRA were brought by morethan 80 plaintiffs and consolidated into one lead case, McConnell v. FEC. On May 2,2003, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
4、 issued its decision inMcConnell v. FEC, No. 02-CV-0582 striking down some key provisions of the law asunconstitutional, but on May 19, it issued a stay of its ruling, which leaves BCRA, asenacted, in effect until the Supreme Court issues a decision. (For information about thedecision, see CRS Repor