The Tillman Act did not address all of the important issues concerning the regulation of campaign finance on the federal level, such as spending limits, and pre-election disclosure of contributions by political committees. From 1907, numerous representatives and Senators had pressed for the implementation of further campaign finance regulations, which would provide the system with greater transparency and accountability. As a result, three years later the Republican-led Congress created a new law, which established the system of public disclosure of campaign funds. However, not all committees contributing to the electoral process were subject to this legislation.

The problem was that The Federal Corrupt Practices Act of 1910, also known as The Publicity Act, made campaign committees operating in two or more states report their House of Representatives’ campaign receipts and expenditures. But as it did not require that the disclosure be made before the election and was limited only to election years, it was amended a year later. In 1911 Congress expanded the regulation, now demanding the revelation of both House and Senate campaign funds before and after elections, both primary and general. The 1911 amendment also established the first ever limits to campaign spending on the federal level, setting it at a total of $5,000 for House and $10,000 for Senate candidates. The law was in force until the early 1920s, when the Supreme Court struck down some of its key provisions in Newberry v. United States.

An Act Providing for publicity of contributions made for the purpose of influencing elections at which Representatives in Congress are elected