American Promise issued the following statement in response to the First Circuit Court hearing oral argument in the appeal of a case challenging the constitutionality of Maine’s Question 2 passed in 2023: 

“American voters—rather than courts or foreign entities—should have the power to determine the conduct of their elections. For nearly 200 years, the American people were able to set limits on political spending. But that has changed during recent decades of judicial overreach from Supreme Court decisions like Buckley v. Valeo (1976) and Citizens United v. FEC (2010), which shifted power at the ballot box from voters to moneyed interests and foreign actors. These decisions were wrong, and they have emboldened an aggressive flow of foreign money into local, state, and federal elections that threatens self-government and national security. 

“86% of Mainers united in 2023 to ban foreign entities from spending money to influence Maine’s election outcomes and affirmed support for a constitutional amendment that would empower states and Congress to set limits on political spending. These voters join a similar number of Americans (89%) who view unrestrained political spending as a threat to democracy and want constitutional reform. The only way to overturn unwise Supreme Court decisions is to amend the Constitution. 

“The For Our Freedom Amendment does that by returning power to states and Congress to set reasonable limits, just like they could for hundreds of years. While we urge the First Circuit to uphold the will of Maine voters, elected leaders should also take the permanent step of returning power to all states to set limits on political spending by supporting the For Our Freedom Amendment.” 

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