In our system of divided government, Congress passes laws and the President implements them. President Obama, a former constitutional law professor, seems to have forgotten this notion of separation of powers. He now seeks to legislate from the White House, doing through Executive Order and signing statements what Congress has refused to do through legislation. […]
FEC member Don McGahn defends free speech and the Constitution. Recall, Citizens United v. FEC was a simple case about whether a nonprofit association was “permitted” to distribute a documentary movie via video-on-demand. Reformers urged the commission to take a staunchly regulatory position (Ornstein himself filed a brief that claimed the movie could be banned). […]
It’s been well over a year since the Supreme Court decided the landmark case Citizens United v. FEC which restored the First Amendment protection of political speech. Unfortunately, liberal elites continue to wage war on the First Amendment even today. In the current edition of the New Yorker, Jeffrey Toobin lashes out against the Supreme […]
Sean Parnell of the Center for Competitive Politics writes up a good defense of Citizens United v. FEC: Ultimately Citizens United answered a basic question of First Amendment rights — can the government pick and chose which types of speakers are allowed to offer their views to voters? Wisely, the Supreme Court said no, and […]
On January 21, 2010 the Supreme Court restored the freedom of political speech in the Citizens United v. FEC decision. Allowing membership organizations, small businesses, labor unions and corporations to exercise their First Amendment rights allowed voters access to more information allowing them to make informed decisions on election day. Many members of Congress, including […]
Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is wrong to say that the Supreme Court is damaged because of its ruling in Citizens United v. FEC. Stevens alleges that the majority opinion in Citizens United will “undermine the integrity of elected institutions across the Nation.” I find it hard to believe that the Supreme Court’s defense […]
Unwarranted attack on the Supreme Court CU v. FEC 5-4 decision by Daniel Henninger: Taking office in January 2009 as president, Barack Obama’s achievement was everywhere called historic. He was at the pinnacle of American life. Two years later, he may be on the cliff’s edge of another historic achievement—the electoral wipeout of his party […]
One year ago today, Citizens United returned to the Supreme Court for a rare rehearing in our case against the Federal Election Commission. The Court sought additional argument regarding whether the government could prohibit corporations from engaging in political speech. Arguing on behalf of the government was Solicitor General Elena Kagan. Today Kagan has been […]
George Will speaks out against the Disclose Act: WASHINGTON Two splendid recent developments have highlighted how campaign finance “reforms” have become the disease they pretend to cure. In Arizona and in Congress, measures ostensibly aimed at eliminating corruption or the “appearance” thereof illustrate the corruption inherent in incumbents writing laws that regulate political competition by […]
Statement From David N. Bossie, President of Citizens United “Today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing Citizens United to air its documentary films and advertisements is a tremendous victory, not only for Citizens United but for every American who desires to participate in the political process. “As our case amply demonstrates, campaign finance legislation over the […]
Today, Citizens United joined Renewing American Leadership (ReAL), an organization founded by Speaker Newt Gingrich, in an amicus curiae brief urging the Supreme Court to protect a World War I memorial constructed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Salazar v. Buono. Despite the fact that this memorial had existed for over half a century, […]
We usually think of freedom of speech as involving the right of speakers to speak, whether through public addresses, in writing, or over radio and television airwaves. But the courts have recognized an additional dimension to First Amendment free speech rights: the right to listen and watch. This right takes center stage in a current […]