H.R. 2143: EMPOWER Act
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H.R. 2143: EMPOWER Act
114th Congress · introduced 2015-04-30 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2015-04-30 · official record
- Who proposed it: Rep. Price, David E. [D-NC-4] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Referred to the House Committee on House Administration. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
- If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.
Official title
EMPOWER Act
Plain summary
Empowering Mass Participation to Offset the Wealthy's Electoral Role Act or the EMPOWER Act Amends the Internal Revenue Code and the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to revise the system of public financing for presidential primary and general elections occurring after January 1, 2016. Increases the amount of matching funds for presidential primaries from a one-to-one match to a six-to-one match for contributions of $250 or less from individuals, with a limit on aggregate individual contributions of $1,000. Limits the total amount of payments to a presidential primary candidate to $300 million. Provides for an inflation adjustment to matching contributions beginning after 2015. Requires presidential primary candidates who opt to participate in the public financing system to certify to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) that they have raised $25,000 (currently, $5,000) in each of 20 states, with individual contributions limited to $250. Requires such candidates to commit to accept public financing in both the primary and general elections. Prohibits presidential primary candidates or their authorized committees from accepting contributions or bundled contributions (i.e., combining small contributions into one large contribution) from lobbyists or political action committees (PACs). Eliminates expenditure limitations for presidential primary and general elections. Changes the period for payment of matching funds to presidential primary candidates from January 1 of the election year to six months prior to the date of the earliest state primary election. Revises financing provisions for general elections to: (1) limit individual contributions to participating candidates to $1,000; and (2) extend matching payments to general elections at a six-to-one rate for contributions of $250 or less, to a maximum amount of $300 million in total matching payments to a publicly-financed general election candidate. Increases to $100 million the limit on coordinated spending by a national party and its presidential candidate in a general election campaign. Establishes a uniform date for the release of payments to eligible general election candidates.
Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
What a vote does
A “Yea” vote
If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.
A “Nay” vote
If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.
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What does this mean? (plain words)
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The strongest published arguments
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Alternatives
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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Rep. Price, David E. [D-NC-4] · 23 cosponsors
Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.
Cosponsors on this site
Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA), Adam Smith (D-WA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)
No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.
Words on this page, explained (2)
- Authorization
- A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
- Political action committee (PAC)
- A committee that raises and spends money to support or oppose candidates. PACs that give directly to federal candidates have contribution limits and report to the Federal Election Commission.
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114hr2143.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/hr>
Record fed-us-cong114-hr2143 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114