Federal Funding of Presidential Nominating Conventions: Overview and Policy Options

R. Sam Garrett
Analyst in American National Government

Shawn Reese
Analyst in Emergency Management and Homeland Security Policy

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 debate. Four bills introduced in the 110th Congress proposed 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 have affected Presidential Election Campaign Fund (PECF) convention grants. (Two other bills, H.R. 776 and H.R. 4294, would have affected nonfederal convention funds.) In the 111th Congress, H.R. 2992 proposes to eliminate public funding for presidential nominating conventions, although this measure does not appear to affect separate security funding discussed in this report. As of this writing, there has been no major legislative activity on the presidential public financing program—including with respect to convention funding. 

The 110th 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 was allocated $50 million). This security funding was not provided to party convention committees but to the state and local law enforcement entities assisting in securing the convention sites. The Administration's FY2011 budget request proposed $20 million for a National Special Security Event State and Local Reimbursement Fund (NSSE Fund). The NSSE Fund would reimburse state and local governments for costs incurred when providing security at NSSEs, such as presidential nominating conventions. 

A total of approximately $133.6 million in federal funds supported the 2008 Democratic and Republican conventions. Such funding was provided through separate federal programs that support public financing of presidential campaigns and convention security. Some Members of Congress and others have objected to federal convention funding and have argued that the events should be entirely self-supporting. Others, however, contend that public funding is necessary to avoid real or apparent corruption in this aspect of the presidential nominating process. If Congress decides to revisit convention financing, a variety of policy options discussed in this report might present alternatives to current funding arrangements. 

Additional discussion of public financing of presidential campaigns appears in CRS Report RL34534, Public Financing of Presidential Campaigns: Overview and Analysis, by R. Sam Garrett. For additional information on National Special Security Events, which include presidential nominating conventions, see CRS Report RS22754, National Special Security Events, by Shawn Reese.


Date of Report: March 18, 2010
Number of Pages: 17
Order Number: RL34630
Price: $29.95

Document available electronically as a pdf file or in paper form.
To order, e-mail congress@pennyhill.com or call us at 301-253-0881.