Stop Foreign Funds in Elections Act

Text in the Record

Mr. STEIL. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3535) to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to apply the prohibition against contributions and donations by foreign nationals in connection with elections to contributions or donations in connection with ballot initiatives and referenda. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 3535

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Stop Foreign Funds in Elections Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON CONTRIBUTIONS AND DONATIONS BY FOREIGN NATIONALS IN CONNECTION WITH BALLOT INITIATIVES AND REFERENDA AND RECALL ELECTIONS.

(a) Prohibition.--Section 319(a)(1)(A) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30121(a)(1)(A)) is amended by inserting ``, including a State or local ballot initiative or referendum or recall election'' after ``State, or local election''. (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by this section shall apply with respect to contributions and donations made on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Steil) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Morelle) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin.

General Leave

Mr. STEIL. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Wisconsin? There was no objection. Mr. STEIL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3535, the Stop Foreign Funds in Elections Act, introduced by my friend, Representative Brian Fitzpatrick. U.S. elections should be for U.S. citizens only, and only U.S. citizens should be participating in and donating in political causes. Today, gaps in our existing laws undermine this principle and actually permit foreign actors to fund U.S. political activities. It is true. Current law allows foreign funding to infiltrate State and local ballot initiatives, referenda, and recall elections. As we have seen in recent history, those races can attract millions of dollars in outside spending. Some of that has been foreign money, and right now that is completely legal. Shadowy groups, like Sixteen Thirty Fund, funneled millions of foreign-linked dollars into ballot initiatives and campaigns in States, including Arizona, Nevada, and Ohio. It sounds crazy, but it is true, Madam Speaker. We should all be able to agree that foreign funds should not be influencing or financing ballot measures, referenda, or recall elections. Current law, as we know, already prohibits foreign money in Federal elections, and this bill broadens that nonpartisan, commonsense prohibition to similar State and local elections. Madam Speaker, elections should be decided by Americans, and they should not be influenced or funded by foreign nationals. Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation and ensure American elections remain for American citizens only, and I reserve the balance of my time Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, this bipartisan bill, the Stop Foreign Funds in Elections Act, will close a loophole, as my colleague and friend, Mr. Steil, the chairman of the Committee on House Administration, has indicated, that currently allows foreign nationals to contribute to State and local ballot initiatives, as well as recall referenda. This change is needed because the Federal Elections Commission previously determined that the Federal Election Campaign Act's foreign national prohibition does not actually reach ballot initiatives that do not appear to be linked to an office-seeking candidate at the Federal, State, or local level. The FEC often sends legislative recommendations to Congress, adopted on a bipartisan basis, to update and strengthen our campaign finance regime. This very bill has been included in their recent recommendations. In fact, this bill is among the highest priority legislative recommendations from the FEC. I thank the bill's sponsor, Congressman Fitzpatrick, as well as the bill's co-lead, Congressman Golden, for their important work on this issue.

[[Page H4401]]

I am glad to see the House taking seriously the risk of foreign interference in domestic elections. In that spirit, I encourage my colleagues to consider other comprehensive democracy reforms to close loopholes. House Democrats' Freedom to Vote Act, which includes the DISCLOSE Act, would crack down on foreign campaign spending, and I think it is well past time for Congress to do something to stem the tide of dark money, including foreign money, in American elections. This bill is a start, and I think I would continue to urge us to do more. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Showing the first 12 paragraphs. The full remarks are in the Record.

Read the full remarks in the Record (opens in a new tab)