U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) has joined Senator Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) and other Senate Republicans in reintroducing the Preventing Foreign Interference in American Elections Act. The legislation aims to stop foreign nationals from improperly influencing U.S. elections.
Senator Budd stated, “Foreign nationals should not meddle in American elections. I am proud to stand with Senator Hagerty in introducing commonsense legislation to ensure free and fair elections by eliminating foreign influences that seek to undermine our electoral process.”
Senator Hagerty added, “After years of hysteria over Russiagate and alleged foreign influence in American elections, it turns out Democrats have recently benefited from hundreds of millions of dollars in election-related contributions from a shadowy foreign billionaire, sidestepping the federal ban on foreign-national contributions in U.S. elections. This type of influence undermines democracy and self-government here in America, and its staggering scope should be alarming. I’m pleased to reintroduce this commonsense and critical legislation that will put an end to covert foreign influence on our elections and protect Americans’ voice in electing their leaders.”
The bill is also co-sponsored by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Kennedy (R-La.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.).
The Preventing Foreign Interference in American Elections Act seeks to close loopholes that allow indirect election-related contributions by foreign nationals, including those made through intermediaries or conduits for prohibited activities related to U.S. elections. It would also prohibit such contributions for ballot harvesting, get-out-the-vote efforts, public communications promoting political parties, as well as donations connected with state ballot initiatives. Additionally, the act aims to prevent broad or pretextual government investigations into nonprofit donor information that could intimidate or chill Americans’ free-speech rights.
A full text of the bill is available online.
