Rein in super PACs by shutting down individual-candidate super PACs and enforcing contribution laws.

Brian Schatz · Hawaii · Democratic

policy impact 0.78 specificity 0.90 extraction confidence 95%

Occurrences

Rein in super PACs by shutting down individual candidate super PACs and enforcing contribution laws.

Schatz committed to restricting super PACs tied to individual candidates and enforcing contribution rules.

Candidate Q&A: U.S. Senate — Brian Schatz - Honolulu Civil Beat
primary · interview · model gpt-5.5

Evidence

Civil Beat said the answers came from Brian Schatz, a Democratic U.S. Senate candidate. In the campaign Q&A, Schatz called for the We The People Act and included a plan to rein in super PACs by shutting down individual-candidate super PACs and enforcing contribution laws.

Establishes the campaign promise and ties it to Schatz's 2016 U.S. Senate campaign for the term beginning in January 2017.

unresolved unknown

Candidate Q&A: U.S. Senate — Brian Schatz - Honolulu Civil Beat
primary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 97%

Congress.gov lists S.6 as introduced and referred to the Senate Rules and Administration Committee. Its summary included the Stop Super PAC-Candidate Coordination Act and FEC replacement/enforcement provisions, but the tracker shows only the introduced step.

The bill behind Schatz's stated plan contained relevant super PAC and campaign-finance-enforcement provisions, but it did not become law.

never unknown A for effort

S.6 - We the People Act of 2016
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 92%

Congress.gov lists Schatz as an original cosponsor of S.949. The bill included the Stop Super PAC-Candidate Coordination Act, but its only action was referral to the Senate Finance Committee and its status remained introduced.

Schatz advanced concrete legislation in the 2017-2023 Senate term, but it stalled without enactment.

never same_term A for effort

All Info - S.949 - For the People Act of 2019
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 95%

The engrossed House amendment included Title VII, Campaign Finance Oversight, with a Stop Super PAC-Candidate Coordination subtitle and a Restoring Integrity to America's Elections subtitle revising the FEC enforcement process.

The major 2022 voting and campaign-finance package included provisions matching the promise: treating coordinated expenditures as contributions and strengthening FEC enforcement.

never same_term A for effort

H.R.5746 - Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act Text
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 94%

The Senate roll call for H.R.5746 shows the cloture motion required three-fifths support, was rejected 49-51, and Schatz voted Yea.

Schatz voted for advancing the package, but the Senate failed to invoke cloture, so the super PAC and FEC enforcement provisions were blocked.

never same_term A for effort

U.S. Senate Roll Call Vote 117th Congress, 2nd Session, Vote 9
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 97%

FEC guidance still describes Super PACs as independent expenditure-only political committees that may receive unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations, labor unions, and other PACs, and gives instructions for registering them.

As of the current legal regime, super PACs remain lawful and able to receive unlimited contributions, indicating the promised shutdown and contribution-law overhaul was not delivered by May 31, 2026.

never later_term

FEC - Registering as a Super PAC
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 96%

Assessments

never same_term A for effort

Schatz made concrete federal legislative efforts after the 2016 Senate campaign, including cosponsoring For the People Act legislation with Stop Super PAC-Candidate Coordination and FEC enforcement provisions and voting to advance the 2022 package containing similar reforms. Those efforts failed: the relevant bills did not become law, the 2022 cloture vote failed 49-51, and super PACs remain lawful under the current FEC regime as of May 31, 2026. Because the promised outcome was not delivered but Schatz made serious legislative attempts during the term tied to the promise, this is a failed promise with effort credit.

provider codex_cli · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 96%