Congresswoman Scholten to Introduce Legislation Curbing Year-Round Campaigning

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Congresswoman Hillary Scholten (D-MI-03) announced new legislation that will kickstart amending the Constitution to give Congress and the states clear authority over regulating campaigns, including timing of campaigning as well as campaign contributions and expenditures. The goal is to put an end to the cycle of perpetual campaigning and encourage more productive work addressing the needs of Americans.

"This is the 'let's get down to business'
bill. Nonstop campaign cycles are killing progress in Congress, and the American people are paying the price. We need to stop the endless campaigning so lawmakers can focus on working together to get things done instead of stopping progress to score political points or go viral on social media," said Congresswoman Scholten. "My proposed constitutional amendment would restore Congress's and the states' authority to set reasonable limits on when campaigns can advertise, as well as how much they can spend and fundraise, so lawmakers can focus on solving problems instead of campaigning."

A constitutional amendment is required following a series of Supreme Court decisions that have increasingly limited Congress's ability to restrict money raised or spent in federal elections, including by corporations and outside political groups, leaving lawmakers with fewer tools to regulate campaign finance. Most notably, in Citizens United v. FEC, the Supreme Court ruled that corporations are comparable to legal persons with corresponding First Amendment rights.

On that note, Congresswoman Scholten stated, "United States Supreme Court justices are unelected and currently not subject to sufficient ethics rules and oversight. They should not get the final say in how our elections are run. We the people, through our representatives, have the power to provide a check on the judicial branch. The Constitution is ours - it is a living document, and it belongs to the people. Not only can we change it, but we must, in order to keep it strong and healthy and responsive to the needs of our nation."

This year marks a record-breaking amount of money spent on political campaigns - more than $15 billion - and it coincides with one of the most unproductive congressional sessions. Constant fundraising and campaigning distract lawmakers from getting real work done, and this amendment represents one of the most far-reaching efforts proposed in Congress to address that challenge.

The bill will be officially introduced during the pro forma session of Congress on Monday, November 2, 2026. Read the full text of the bill here.

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