[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 53 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. J. RES. 53

    Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States 
  relating to contributions and expenditures with respect to Federal 
                               elections.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 14, 2015

Mr. Yarmuth (for himself and Mr. Cohen) introduced the following joint 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                            JOINT RESOLUTION


 
    Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States 
  relating to contributions and expenditures with respect to Federal 
                               elections.

    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House 
concurring therein), That the following article is proposed as an 
amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be 
valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when 
ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States 
within seven years after the date of its submission for ratification:

                              ``Article--

    ``Section 1. Financial expenditures, or in-kind equivalents, with 
respect to a candidate for Federal office, without regard to whether or 
not a communication expressly advocates the election or defeat of a 
specified candidate in the election, shall not constitute protected 
speech, as guaranteed by this Constitution or any amendment to this 
Constitution.
    ``Section 2. Congress shall have the power to enact a mandatory 
public financing system to provide funds to qualified candidates in 
elections for Federal office, which shall be the sole source of funds 
raised or spent with respect to Federal elections.
    ``Section 3. Congress shall have power to enforce the provisions of 
this article by appropriate legislation.''.
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