Rule Change Aims to Encourage More Americans to Run for Office
Starting from 2024, candidates for federal office in the United States will have an easier time using campaign funds to pay themselves salaries. This change was approved by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) in a 5-1 vote. The move is designed to make it more feasible for Americans of modest means to run for Congress and the presidency, according to its advocates.
Earlier this year, several candidates shared their experiences of financial difficulties they faced while campaigning. Among them was Florida Representative Maxwell Frost, the first Gen Z candidate to win a House seat in 2022. Frost, a Democrat, recounted his struggles with juggling part-time work as an Uber driver and campaigning for the House. His financial situation became so dire that he was denied an apartment in Washington due to his poor credit.
Democrat-Led Initiative to Support Working-Class Americans
“This new rule will help ordinary, working-class Americans to represent their communities by running for federal office,” stated FEC Commissioner Shana Broussard, a Democrat who spearheaded the rule change. The change was initially proposed in 2021 by Nabilah Islam, a former congressional candidate and current Democrat serving in the Georgia state Senate.
While the FEC has historically allowed candidates to use campaign funds to pay themselves a salary, there were strict restrictions on this compensation to prevent misuse of donors’ money. In many instances, the salary was linked to their earnings in the year before they became a candidate. Furthermore, they could not begin drawing a salary until the candidate filing deadlines in their states, which differ significantly across the country.
New Rules to Benefit Students, Unemployed, and Caregivers
Critics of the old system argued that it deterred individuals who were students, unemployed, or home caregivers in the previous year from running for office. Under the new rules, candidates can use campaign funds to pay themselves up to 50% of the annual US House salary or the equivalent of the average annual income they earned during a longer look-back period – the previous five calendar years – whichever is lower. The current annual salary for rank-and-file House members is $174,000.
Moreover, the payments can commence when they file their statements of candidacy with the FEC and can continue for 20 days after winning or losing the election or otherwise ending their campaigns.
Rule Change Reflects Rare Bipartisan Agreement
The rule change, which will take effect on March 1, 2024, represents a rare instance of bipartisan agreement on the commission. The FEC, where Democrats and Republicans each hold three seats, often experiences deadlock along partisan lines. However, one Republican, Commissioner James “Trey” Trainor, voted against the rule change, arguing that the FEC has never had the authority from Congress to allow candidates to use donors’ money for their own salaries.