A legislative package introduced in the House of Representatives on Tuesday would ban former senior U.S. government officials from lobbying for Iran and other adversaries after their government service concludes.
“It is the bare minimum expectation that U.S. government employees work for the betterment of America, both during their service and long after it,” wrote Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas), who submitted the bills.
“Yet far too often, we see individuals leave government, only to lobby on behalf of foreign adversaries who wish to see America fail,” added the chair of the House Homeland Security Committee’s counterterrorism and intelligence subcommittee.
The Conflict-free Leaving Employment and Activity Restrictions (CLEAR) Path Act aims to extend existing post-government restrictions on U.S. State Department employees to cover more employees, imposing a lifetime ban for agency heads, deputies and Senate-confirmed employees from lobbying on behalf of countries of concern, including Iran, China, Russia, North Korea and Cuba.
The Preventing Adversary Influence, Disinformation and Obscured Foreign Financing (PAID OFF) Act would close loopholes that currently allow unregistered agents of foreign adversaries to lobby in America.
And the Restricting Ex-Vetted Officials from Knowledge Exploitation (REVOKE) Act, which was introduced in the House-passed annual defense authorization bill, would require the U.S. secretary of war—formerly called the secretary of defense—to pull security clearances for former personnel who lobby on behalf of China.
“Our government should work for the American people, not foreign actors,” stated Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), who is leading Democratic efforts on the package.
Crow said that the bipartisan bills would “help protect America, restore public trust and stop the corrupt foreign influence of adversaries like Russia and the Chinese Communist Party.”
All three pieces of legislation have bipartisan companion bills that have either been introduced in the Senate or that Republicans and Democrats plan to file.
“American policy should not in any way reflect the handiwork of foreign adversaries who are actively working to tip the scales in their favor and undermine our interests,” stated Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who is leading the GOP efforts on the bills in the Senate.
“These common-sense bills would root out attempts of malign foreign interference and better safeguard U.S. decision making,” he said.
