June 21, 2022 •
The Fighting Foreign Influence Act Introduced as Bipartisan Bill in U.S. House
A bipartisan bill aimed at fighting the influence of foreign actors was introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives. House Bill 8106, the Fighting Foreign Influence Act, was introduced by Democratic U.S. Representatives Jared Golden and Katie Porter together with Republican U.S. Representative Paul Gosar.
The bill itself contains three separate Acts.
The Think Tank and Non-Profit Foreign Influence Disclosure Act would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to require tax exempt organizations, including think tanks, to disclose when a government of a foreign country or a foreign political party makes aggregate contributions and gifts of more than $50,000, which would then become publicly available in a searchable database.
The Congressional and Executive Foreign Lobbying Ban Act would amend The Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 to prohibit former members of Congress, senior political appointees, and general or flag officers of the armed forces from ever registering as the agent of a foreign principal.
The Stop Foreign Donations Affecting Our Elections Act would amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require political campaigns to verify that anyone making an online contribution has a valid address (using a credit card’s three-digit CVV code) before making a campaign contribution and prohibit foreign agents from fundraising for political campaigns.
The bill, introduced into the U.S. House on June 16, has been referred to the House Administration, the Ways and Means, and the Judiciary committees.
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