Rep. Summer Lee, Sen. Bernie Sanders Unveil Bill to Abolish Super PACs, Stop Billionaires from Buying Candidates

Bill Text| Bill Summary

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 20, 2026 - With AIPAC, crypto and AI super PACs already spending over half a billion dollars this primary season, Congresswoman Summer Lee (PA-12)and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) today introduced legislation to ban super PACs from buying our elections. The Abolish Super PACs Act would cap the contribution limit of individuals to super PACs at $5,000, effectively abolishing them and putting power back into the hands of the people. Last year, Rep. Lee introduced the Abolish Super PACs Act in the House of Representatives and has been a leading voice in the fight to get big money out of politics.

"Super PACs have allowed limitless money to flow into our elections and influence every aspect of our lives. Our government is now undeniably held in the hands of the powerful and wealthy few. I'm proud to be the lead sponsor of the Abolish Super PACs Act in the House to put democracy back in the hands of the people, and I'm grateful for Senator Sanders' partnership and leadership in the Senate," Rep.Lee said.

"In the 2024 elections, Elon Musk - the richest man in the world - spent at least $290 million to elect Trump, while the 100 richest billionaire families in the country spent $2.6 billion to elect the candidates of their choice. As we enter the 2026 elections, we're seeing billionaires spend far more money in a primary or midterm than at any time in history," Sen. Sanders said. "You, as a citizen, get one vote. They, as oligarchs, get to buy the candidates. That's not democracy. If we're going to create a government that works for all, and not just the 1%, we have to end Citizens United, get super PACs out of elections, and move to public financing of elections. This bill is an important step forward and I am proud to support it."

Since the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision, election spending by billionaires has skyrocketed by more than 16,000%, reaching a total of $2.6 billion during the 2024 election cycle. In the 2026 election cycle, AI, crypto and AIPAC-aligned super PACs are projected to spend hundreds of millions of dollars.

In addition to Rep. Lee and Senator Sanders, the bill is supported by 17 Members of the House of Representatives: Reps. Ro Khanna, Jim McGovern, and Pramila Jayapal are original co-leads, and Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Chris Deluzio, Delia Ramirez, Jesus Chuy Garcia, Kelly Morrison, Melanie Stansbury, Mike Thompson, Greg Casar, Sarah Elfreth, Valerie Foushee, Al Green, Grace Meng, Emily Randall, and Yassamin Ansari are co-sponsors.

The Abolish Super PACs Act is endorsed by Common Defense, Court Accountability, Dream Defenders, End Citizens United, Equal Citizens, Free Speech For People, Gen-Z for Change, Grassroots Global Justice Action Fund, IfNotNow Movement, Jewish Voice for Peace Action, Justice is Global Action, Move to Amend, MPower Change Action Fund, National Iranian American Council Action, Our Revolution, Peace Action, RepresentUs, RootsAction, Rural Organizing, Sunrise Movement, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action, and Women's March.

In March 2025, Rep. Lee introduced the Abolish Super PACs Act in the House of Representatives and has long championed reforms to strengthen democracy, protect the political power of working people, and stop billionaires, corporate interests, and special interest groups from drowning out voters.

Read the bill text here.

Read a summary here.

Congresswoman Summer Lee serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Committee on Education and Workforce. Since taking office in January 2023, shehas delivered historic levels of federal investment totaling over $2.7 Billion brought back to Western PA, including over $580 million for infrastructure, over $110 million for affordable transit, over $500 million to keep clean energy manufacturing at home in Pennsylvania, and over $55 million on clean energy efforts in and around schools to help keep our kids and communities safe. These investments will help improve Western Pennsylvania's infrastructure and transit, ensure cleaner air and drinking water, lower housing costs, fund research institutions, fuel clean manufacturing, fund STEM innovation and entrepreneurship, boost workforce development, and create thousands of good paying union jobs. Lee and her team have also delivered casework and constituent services to over 4,000 constituents with issues ranging from helping our seniors and disabled community access Medicare and social security to helping folks secure housing and helping families with immigration support and passports.