U.S. Chamber Vows Legal Fight Against Campaign Law

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States Chamber of Commerce vowed to continue the fight against misguided and unconstitutional elements of campaign finance legislation signed into law today, reiterating that it will take the fight for free speech all the way to the Supreme Court.

"This is a country founded on free speech and the government cannot tell us that we have the right to speak on issues at the beginning of a campaign, but not at the end, when public debate matters most," said U.S. Chamber President and CEO Thomas Donohue. "The Supreme Court will have the final say here."

The Chamber's upcoming legal challenge will focus on a key provision of the law that dramatically limits the ability of organizations to conduct issue advocacy and bans the airing of issue ads 60 days before a general election and 30 days before a primary, during the most heated debate.

The Chamber also plans to contest a provision that exposes organizations having regular contact with government officials to charges that their independent public speech is coordinated with a candidate, making it an unlawful contribution.

"If this act stands, it will undermine businesses' ability to work with federal officials and speak out on issues of public importance," said Donohue. "By stifling the voice of business groups in the political process, the law creates a huge window of opportunity for legislators to deflect criticism and minimize accountability for their anti-business legislation."

The campaign finance act contains special review provisions providing that initial challenges are to be heard by a three-judge district court in the D.C. Circuit. The law provides for a right of appeal by the losing party directly to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"Free speech is every organization's and individual's constitutional right and we are confident the courts will continue to uphold this right," said Donohue.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation, representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

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