House Republicans are introducing a bill that would prohibit foreign nationals from contributing to political advocacy organizations, closing a loophole that allows their funds to support political campaigns, according to a report by Axios.
Republican Rep. Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, who chairs the House Administration Committee that certifies elections to the chamber, will introduce the American Confidence in Elections (ACE) Act in the House on Tuesday, according to Axios. The bill will reportedly ban foreign nationals from donating to political advocacy organizations with tax-exempt status under Section 501 (c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code.
“American elections are for American citizens. Yet foreign nationals still find ways to influence American elections,” said Steil in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “The [ACE] Act will close loopholes that foreign nationals are exploiting to funnel money to super PACs or ballot initiatives.”
The text of the bill has not been released. However, in the 117th Congress, Republican Rep. Rodney Davis of Illinois, who was the committee’s ranking member at the time, introduced a 170-page bill with the same name.
Currently, only U.S. citizens, non-citizen U.S. nationals and foreign citizens with lawful permanent residency (known commonly as a “green card”) may donate to political campaigns and participate in a campaign’s decision-making process. However, foreign nationals are permitted to donate to 501(c)(4) organizations that may, in turn, donate to campaigns, endorse candidates and lobby elected officials.
