This educational guide is based on the linked primary sources. It is not a Court publication, is not affiliated with the Court, and is not legal advice.
In brief
Overview
According to Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc., the case concerns a First Amendment issue about whether the government can restrict grassroots lobbying about upcoming congressional votes through campaign finance laws.
According to Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc., the Court has distinguished regulation of corporate electioneering from grassroots lobbying, finding compelling governmental interests in regulating electioneering but not in restricting grassroots lobbying.
Background and question before the Court
According to Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc., this case involves the fundamental First Amendment question of whether the Government can shield lawmakers from grassroots lobbying about upcoming votes in Congress through campaign finance laws.
What each side argues
Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc. (Petitioner)
According to Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc., the petitioner argues that grassroots lobbying is distinct from corporate electioneering and should not be subject to the same campaign‑finance restrictions.
Wisconsin Right to Life maintains that, despite campaign‑finance restrictions, it is more important to lobby than to advocate for the election or defeat of candidates.
Federal Election Commission (Respondent)
Source-limited. The record does not yet support a complete account.
What happened at oral argument
According to Justice BREYER, all right. So what is the test? Because I -- my vague recollection from a year and a half ago is that there was in that testimony political consultants who said if you really want to defeat a Senator, here's how you do it.
According to Justice O'CONNOR, now, this ad could have been run by your clients by a segregated fund.
According to CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS, is there any other case that you can cite where we've upheld a facial challenge and then later said that an as‑applied challenge was barred by our ruling on the facial challenge?
According to Justice Ginsburg, may I ask you one other thing about the setting? When you went to the Web site to get further information, what was conveyed about Senator Feingold when you went to get that further information?
What the Court decided
Why it matters
Terms to know
No glossary terms are available for this guide.
Primary sources
Read the source materials on the official site or open the immutable repository copy used for this guide.
- 2152a3ecdba7ef7a9c41-r1-f4f3ef01bb595392.pdforal argument transcript
Guide generated September 21, 2026. Automated validation accepted this version.