The U.S. Senate has approved two bipartisan bills designed to counter the efforts of foreign governments, particularly adversaries like Russia and China, seeking to influence American policy.
The bills were penned by U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Chuck Grassley (R-IA).
The senators intend to enhance transparency surrounding foreign lobbying practices and close loopholes that have allowed foreign governments to manipulate lobbying efforts undetected.
“By providing more transparency about foreign lobbying practices, these bipartisan bills will help stop attempts by foreign adversaries to influence our political process,” Senator Peters stated.
He emphasized that these measures are aimed to “ensure that the federal government is working in the best interests of Michiganders and Americans.”
Senator Grassley stressed the necessity of making lobbying processes more open and accountable.
“The public ought to know if someone is using their lobbying disclosure to exempt themselves from registering as a foreign agent,” said Grassley.
Echoing Louis Brandeis’ famous quote, he added, “Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and the American people deserve to know who is carrying water for a foreign power.”
The first of the two bills, the Lobbying Disclosure Improvement Act, seeks to enhance the transparency of the lobbying activities of foreign representatives.
It would compel these lobbyists to disclose if they are utilizing an exemption under the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) while registering under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.
This provision “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 press release explains.
The second bill, the Disclosing Foreign Influence in Lobbying Act, aims to close a loophole in the Lobbying Disclosure Act, which foreign entities can use to conceal their roles in lobbying efforts.
Senator Peters indicated that foreign adversaries have been known to have “exploited this loophole by using closely-connected organizations and businesses to push their interests when lobbying the U.S. government.”
The legislation makes it mandatory for lobbying organizations to disclose any participation of foreign governments and political parties in their lobbying efforts, regardless of their financial contribution to the cause.
The legislation now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Expressing optimism about the forthcoming process, Senator Grassley concluded, “I’m glad to see this bipartisan legislation move forward and hope to see it pass quickly in the House.”
