The US Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down federal limits on how much political parties can spend in coordination with their candidates, a 6-3 decision that immediately removes caps in place since the 1970s. The ruling, authored by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, held that the restrictions in the Federal Election Campaign Act violate the First Amendment’s free speech protections. The case was brought by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee, and then-Senate candidate JD Vance, now vice-president, who argued the limits were outdated and unconstitutional.

The court’s conservative majority overruled a 2001 precedent that had upheld the same coordinated expenditure limits, with Kavanaugh writing that constitutional text, history, and precedent now compel a different result. The three liberal justices dissented, with Justice Elena Kagan warning that the decision “rewrites the rules” and enables parties to serve as “an alternative checking account” for campaigns, circumventing individual contribution limits. The Trump administration declined to defend the law, siding with the Republican challengers, while Democratic party committees condemned the ruling as a victory for wealthy donors and special interests.

The immediate practical effect is to allow national party committees to spend unlimited sums directly on advertisements, travel, and other campaign expenses in concert with their candidates. Financial disclosures show the Republican National Committee held $125.5 million in cash at the end of May, compared with $14.9 million for the Democratic National Committee, which also carried $18.3 million in debt. Analysts in Washington note that Republicans have historically relied more on large donations to party committees, while Democrats have drawn on a broader base of small-dollar donors to individual candidates. The removal of caps therefore gives Republican candidates a near-term financial advantage, though both parties are expected to adapt their fundraising strategies.

The decision extends a decades-long trend of judicial deregulation of campaign finance, most notably the 2010 Citizens United ruling that permitted unlimited independent spending by corporations and unions. Viewed from European capitals, the US approach to money in politics continues to diverge sharply from the stricter limits common in many democracies. The ruling takes effect immediately, with the November midterm elections for Congress now less than five months away. No further legislative or judicial steps are required; the Federal Election Commission, now aligned with the administration, is expected to implement the change without resistance.