{
  "id": "RS21511",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RS21511",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
  "versions": [
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      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 102451,
      "date": "2003-05-19",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-08T14:45:13.735544",
      "title": "Campaign Finance: Brief Overview of District Court Opinion in McConnell v. FEC",
      "summary": "On March 27, 2002, the President signed into law the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002\n(BCRA),  P.L. 107-155  ( H.R. 2356 , 107th Cong.), which was also known as the\nMcCain-Feingold campaign finance reform legislation prior to enactment. Most provisions of the\nnew law became effective on November 6, 2002. Shortly after President Bush signed BCRA into\nlaw, Senator Mitch McConnell filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against\nthe Federal Election Commission (FEC) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). \nUltimately, eleven suits challenging the campaign finance reform law were brought by more than\n80 plaintiffs and were consolidated into one lead case,  McConnell v. FEC.  In summary, the\nMcConnell complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief argued that portions of BCRA violate the\nFirst Amendment and the equal protection component of the Due Process Clause of the Fifth\nAmendment to the Constitution. On May 2, 2003, the U.S. District Court for the District of\nColumbia issued its decision in  McConnell v. FEC,  striking down many key provisions of\nthe law. \n(See the text of the  per curiam  opinion at  http://www.dcd.uscourts.gov/02cv582a.pdf .) This\nreport\nprovides a brief overview of the court\u2019s decision and will be updated. The three-judge panel,\nwhich\nwas split 2 to 1 on many issues, ordered that its ruling take effect immediately. Since the court has\nissued its opinion, several appeals have been filed. Under the BCRA expedited review provision,\nthe court\u2019s decision will be reviewed directly by the U.S. Supreme Court. On May 19 the\nU.S.\ndistrict court issued a stay to its ruling, which leaves BCRA, as enacted, in effect until the Supreme\nCourt issues a decision. For more information see, Campaign Finance Reform Oversight \n http://www.congress.gov/erp/legissues/html/isele2.html , and  CRS Report RL30669 ,  Campaign\nFinance Regulation Under the First Amendment .",
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    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs4403/",
      "id": "RS21511 2003-05-08",
      "date": "2003-05-08",
      "retrieved": "2005-06-11T06:15:57",
      "title": "Campaign Finance: Brief Overview of",
      "summary": "On May 2, 2003, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued its decision in McConnell v. FEC, striking down many key provisions of the law. This report provides a brief overview of the court\u2019s decision and will be updated. The three-judge panel, which was split 2 to 1 on many issues, ordered that its ruling take effect immediately. Since the court has issued its opinion, several appeals have been filed. Under the BCRA expedited review provision, the court\u2019s decision will be reviewed directly by the U.S. Supreme Court. On May 19 the U.S. district court issued a stay to its ruling, which leaves BCRA, as enacted, in effect until the Supreme Court issues a decision",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
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      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Elections",
          "name": "Elections"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Supreme Court decisions",
          "name": "Supreme Court decisions"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "McConnell v. FEC",
          "name": "McConnell v. FEC"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Campaign finance reform - law and legislation",
          "name": "Campaign finance reform - law and legislation"
        },
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          "id": "Law",
          "name": "Law"
        }
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}