The law, if passed, would also have prohibited political spending by U.S. companies with twenty percent or more foreign ownership, and by most government contractors.

U.S. Supreme Court summary reversal of a decision by the Montana Supreme Court holding that Citizens United did not preclude a Montana state law prohibiting corporate spending in elections.

At the urging of California lawmakers, the House agreed to prohibit federal spending on the development of three dozen oil leases off that's state's coast.

In addition, the law prohibits additional spending for benefit programs unless it is offset by cuts in these programs or new taxes.

The Department of Education also recently called for austerity measures, prohibiting extravagant spending and requiring students to wear only their school uniforms under their togas.

In a 3-to-0 vote, they said their hands were tied, in effect, because nothing in the state election law expressly prohibited such spending by a national party.

National Tests: Vote to prohibit new spending on voluntary national reading and mathematics tests without specific authority from Congress.

Hensarling co-authored a Constitutional amendment (known as the Spending Limit Amendment) that would prohibit federal spending from growing faster than the economy.

The United States Supreme Court has ruled that prohibiting independent political spending violates the Constitution.

But there is nothing to prohibit independent spending, and it will be difficult to detect when such spending is actually for a campaign.