WASHINGTON, DC—Two bipartisan bills written by U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) have advanced in the Senate. The legislation would help close loopholes that foreign governments could exploit to conceal their roles in lobbying efforts. Both bills were advanced by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where Peters serves as Ranking Member.
“Foreign governments should not be able to secretly influence policies that are not in the best interests of Michiganders and Americans,” said Senator Peters. “These bipartisan bills will close loopholes that foreign adversaries exploit, increase transparency in foreign lobbying practices, and strengthen our national security.”
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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