Cite as: 540 U. S. 93 (2003)
Opinion of the Court
plained above, see supra, at 190-193, Buckley's narrow interpretation of the term "expenditure" was not a constitutional limitation on Congress' power to regulate federal elections. Accordingly, there is no reason why Congress may not treat coordinated disbursements for electioneering communications in the same way it treats all other coordinated expenditures. We affirm the judgment of the District Court insofar as it held that plaintiffs had advanced "no basis for finding Section 202 unconstitutional." 251 F. Supp. 2d, at 250.
BCRA § 203's Prohibition of Corporate and Labor Disbursements for Electioneering
Communications
Since our decision in Buckley, Congress' power to prohibit corporations and unions from using funds in their treasuries to finance advertisements expressly advocating the election or defeat of candidates in federal elections has been firmly embedded in our law. The ability to form and administer separate segregated funds authorized by FECA § 316, 2 U. S. C. § 441b (2000 ed. and Supp. II), has provided corporations and unions with a constitutionally sufficient opportunity to engage in express advocacy. That has been this Court's unanimous view,86 and it is not challenged in this litigation.
86 We have explained: "The statutory purpose of § 441b . . . is to prohibit contributions or expenditures by corporations or labor organizations in connection with federal elections. 2 U. S. C. § 441b(a). The section, however, permits some participation of unions and corporations in the federal electoral process by allowing them to establish and pay the administrative expenses of 'separate segregated fund[s],' which may be 'utilized for political purposes.' 2 U. S. C. § 441b(b)(2)(C). The Act restricts the operations of such segregated funds, however, by making it unlawful for a corporation to solicit contributions to a fund established by it from persons other than its 'stockholders and their families and its executive or administrative personnel and their families.' 2 U. S. C. § 441b(b)(4)(A)." National Right to Work, 459 U. S., at 201-202.
203
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