New 'Help America Run Act' Lets Candidates Use Campaign Cash for Childcare and Health Insurance

The newly proposed Help America Run Act aims to tackle a major barrier in politics: the fact that you often have to be rich to run for office. This bill specifically changes campaign finance rules to allow candidates to use authorized campaign funds to pay for essential personal services like childcare, elder care, and health insurance premiums.

The idea here is straightforward: Running for office is essentially a full-time job that doesn't pay. If you’re a working parent, taking that time off means losing your income and having to pay for things like daycare and health coverage out of pocket. This bill recognizes that reality, arguing that current rules unintentionally favor the independently wealthy. By allowing campaign funds to cover these costs—provided they are "absolutely necessary" for the candidate to participate in campaign activities—the Act intends to open the political door to a wider, more economically diverse pool of candidates, from teachers to small business owners.

The Campaign Fund as a Dependent Care Account

Section 2 is the heart of this change, explicitly authorizing campaign committees to treat payments for certain personal services as legitimate campaign expenditures. The covered services are highly focused on care and health: child care services, elder care services, and similar care for any dependent relative. This means a candidate who needs to travel for a campaign rally could use campaign money to pay the babysitter, or a candidate with aging parents could cover the costs of necessary elder care while they are away fundraising.

This provision directly addresses the reality of modern life, where most families are juggling work and caregiving. For a candidate who isn't already wealthy, this change could be the difference between being able to run and having to stay home. It’s a practical step toward making sure our elected officials don't just represent the top tax bracket.

Health Insurance: A Caveat for Incumbents

Another key inclusion is the ability to use campaign funds to pay for health insurance premiums. For a non-incumbent candidate who quits their job to run, losing employer-provided health insurance is a huge risk. This bill allows their campaign to cover those premiums, removing a major financial hurdle. However, there’s a specific carve-out: if the candidate is already a federal officeholder (an incumbent), their campaign committee cannot use funds to pay for their health insurance premiums. This creates a clear distinction, ensuring that the benefit is aimed at helping challengers and new candidates maintain coverage, rather than subsidizing the personal costs of current officeholders.

The Devil in the Details: What is 'Absolutely Necessary'?

While the intent is clear and positive, the bill’s language introduces a bit of a gray area. The expenditures must be "absolutely necessary for the candidate to participate in campaign activities or to perform their duties as an officeholder." This phrase is crucial, but also somewhat vague. For instance, is a high-end personal chef "absolutely necessary" for a candidate to stay healthy while campaigning, or is it excessive personal spending? Regulators will eventually have to draw a clear line here. If that line isn't strictly defined and enforced, there’s a risk that some candidates might stretch the definition of 'necessary' services, potentially leading to misuse. Overall, though, this Act is a significant move to lower the financial barrier to entry, which is good news for anyone who wants a government that looks a little more like the people it serves.