Number: RL34630
Title: Federal Funding of Presidential Nominating Conventions: Overview and Policy Options
Authors: R. Sam Garrett and Shawn Reese, Government and Finance Division 
Abstract: This report provides an overview and analysis of two recurring questions surrounding the federal government's role in financing presidential nominating conventions. First, how much public funding supports presidential nominating conventions? Second, what options exist for changing that amount if Congress chooses to do so? Both issues have generated controversy in the past and continue to be the subject of legislative debate. Four bills introduced in the 110th Congress propose changes to the structure or amounts of federal funds for presidential nominating conventions. Those bills (H.R. 72, H.R. 484, S. 436, and S. 2412) would affect Presidential Election Campaign Fund (PECF) convention grants. (Two other bills, H.R. 776 and H.R. 4294, would affect non-federal convention funds.) Congress enacted one law (P.L. 110-161) in FY2008 that affected convention security funding with the appropriation of $100 million for the Democratic and Republican nominating conventions (each were allocated $50 million). This security funding is not provided to party convention committees but to the state and local law enforcement entities assisting in securing the convention sites.
Pages: 14
Date: August 22, 2008