WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Charles Grassley (R-IA), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, reintroduced two bipartisan bills to improve our nation’s ability to prevent foreign governments, including adversaries like the Chinese and Russian governments, from attempting to influence U.S. policy without making appropriate disclosures. The legislation would help close loopholes that foreign governments could exploit to conceal their roles in lobbying efforts.
“The American people deserve complete transparency about who is trying to influence our political process,” said Senator Peters. “These bipartisan bills will help ensure foreign actors can’t exploit loopholes to hide their activities while attempting to shape policy in the United States. It’s a commonsense step to protect our national security and ensure our government is working in the best interests of the American people.”
“Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and the public has a right to know if a foreign government is trying to sway American policy,” said Senator Grassley. “Our bipartisan bills would close a loophole that allows individuals to conceal their lobbying efforts and ensure that all foreign actors are disclosed to the American people. The Senate passed our bipartisan legislation last Congress, and I’m going to continue to work diligently with my colleagues to get these vital reforms to the president’s desk.”
The Lobbying Disclosure Improvement Act would improve transparency of the activities of lobbyists who represent foreign persons or organizations by requiring them to indicate whether they are taking advantage of an exemption under the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) when they register under the Lobbying Disclosure Act. This would help the Department of Justice narrow the pool of registrants they are examining for potential violations, while not imposing any meaningful additional burden on registrants.
The Disclosing Foreign Influence in Lobbying Act closes a loophole in the Lobbying Disclosure Act that foreign adversaries – including the Chinese government – can exploit to conceal their roles in lobbying efforts. Think tanks and law enforcement agencies have identified instances in which foreign adversaries exploited this loophole by using closely connected organizations and businesses to push their interests when lobbying the U.S. government. The bill makes clear that lobbying organizations must disclose when foreign governments and political parties participate in their lobbying efforts, regardless of any financial contribution to the lobbying effort.
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