United States v. Harriss

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United States v. Harriss

Argued October 19, 1953
Decided June 7, 1954


Full case name:	United States v. Harriss, et al.

Citations:	347 U.S. 612; 74 S. Ct. 808; 98 L. Ed. 989; 1954 U.S. LEXIS 2657

Prior history:	Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Columbia

Holding

The Court upheld the act's constitutionality, but also by narrowed the scope and application of the act.

Court membership

Chief Justice: Earl Warren
Associate Justices: Hugo Black, Stanley Forman Reed, Felix Frankfurter, William O. Douglas, Robert H. Jackson, Harold Hitz Burton, Tom C. Clark, Sherman Minton

Case opinions

Majority by: Warren
Joined by: Reed, Frankfurter, Burton, Minton
Dissent by: Douglas
Joined by: Black
Dissent by: Jackson
Clark took no part in the consideration or decision of the case.

Laws applied

Regulation of Lobbying Act

United States v. Harriss, 347 U.S. 612 (1954), was a U.S. Supreme Court case applied directly to the Regulation of Lobbying Act.

[edit] Proceedings and outcome

Lobbyists challenged the Regulation of Lobbying Act for being unconstitutionally vague and unclear. In Harriss, the Supreme Court responded by upholding the act's constitutionality, but also by narrowing the scope and application of the act. The Court ruled that the act applies only to paid lobbyists who directly communicate with members of Congress on pending or proposed federal legislation. This means that lobbyists who visit with congressional staff members rather than members of Congress themselves are not considered lobbyists. In addition, the act covers only attempts to influence the passage or defeat of legislation in Congress, and excludes other congressional activities. Further, the act applies to and restricts only individuals who spend at least half of their time lobbying.^[1]