S.1849 - Zeroing Out Money for Buying Influence after Elections (ZOMBIE) Act (119th Congress)
Summary
The Zeroing Out Money for Buying Influence after Elections (ZOMBIE) Act, or S.1849, aims to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971. It requires former candidates to disburse remaining funds from their authorized committees or leadership PACs after an election. This bill also mandates that former candidates serving as registered lobbyists or foreign agents certify compliance with these disbursement requirements.
Expected Effects
The bill's passage would force former candidates to spend down campaign funds within a specific timeframe. It restricts the use of these funds, preventing them from being used to exert influence after leaving office. Additionally, it adds a compliance certification requirement for former candidates who become lobbyists or foreign agents.
Potential Benefits
- Reduces potential for undue influence by former candidates using leftover campaign funds.
- Increases transparency in post-election spending by political committees.
- Prevents candidates from personally profiting from campaign donations after their campaign ends.
- Ensures funds are either returned to donors or contributed to legitimate charitable organizations.
- Strengthens public trust in the integrity of the electoral process.
Potential Disadvantages
- May create administrative burdens for campaign committees to disburse funds within the set timeframe.
- Could limit the ability of former candidates to engage in future political activities or support other candidates.
- Might incentivize candidates to spend all funds during the election cycle, potentially leading to wasteful spending.
- May disproportionately affect candidates with fewer resources or less sophisticated campaign operations.
- Could be perceived as overly restrictive, potentially discouraging individuals from running for office.
Constitutional Alignment
The bill primarily amends existing campaign finance laws, which are subject to constitutional scrutiny under the First Amendment's guarantee of freedom of speech and association. While the bill aims to prevent corruption and undue influence, courts have generally upheld campaign finance regulations that serve a sufficiently important interest and are narrowly tailored. The constitutionality of this bill would likely depend on whether the restrictions on post-election spending are deemed reasonable and do not unduly burden political speech. The bill does not appear to infringe on any other specific constitutional provisions.
Impact Assessment: Things You Care About ⓘ
This action has been evaluated across 19 key areas that matter to you. Scores range from 1 (highly disadvantageous) to 5 (highly beneficial).