Citizens United foreign campaign contributes to Democratic bill

Congressional Democrats want to close loopholes created by the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision that allow foreign entities to fund US elections.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. The bill, led by and first shared with CNBC, would establish foreign ownership limits to determine which US corporations should be barred from contributing to campaigns, ballot initiatives and referendums.

“The Roberts Court’s reckless decision in Citizens United continues to be devastating to American democracy, allowing oligarchs and autocrats around the world to exert their influence over our elections and undermine our institutions,” Raskin said in a statement, referring to Chief Justice John Roberts and that decision.

Raskin said the proposal would “root out corruption and ensure that our elections are decided by the American people, not by foreign oligarchs.” The Act, called the Prevent Foreign Funds from America Elections Act, had more than 65 Democratic cosponsors in the House and 11 in the Senate when it was introduced on Wednesday. With Republicans in control of both houses, it faces an unexpected path to passage this Congress.

This bill comes in the form of foreign equity in American companies surge from the 1990s. And it follows a June Supreme Court decision striking down limits on the amount political parties can spend in coordination with candidates for office.

It is already illegal for foreign citizens to contribute to US elections, but Raskin and Whitehouse’s proposal would extend existing laws beyond the limits limited to certain companies registered in the US with foreign ownership.

For example, business entities located outside the US in which 50% of the voting shares, total equity, or membership units are owned by foreign nationals will be prohibited from making political contributions, as will business entities located within the US in which a single foreign national outside the US owns or controls 1% of the voting shares, total equity, or membership units.

Raskin and Whitehouse led nearly identical bills 118th Congress, However it did not get a vote in either house.

“Thanks to the disastrous Citizens United decision, foreign actors can take advantage of the same corrupt dark money channels that allow unlimited corporate spending,” Whitehouse said in a statement. “We should get rid of the damned stuff altogether, but this bill will at least protect our democracy from foreign adversaries who shadow influence American elections.”

The proposal was proposed by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa. And it comes on the heels of the House’s passage earlier this month of a bipartisan bill led by Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, that seeks to restrict foreign contributions in local ballot initiatives, referendums and recall elections. The Senate has not yet voted on the measure.

Fitzpatrick said, “Voting is the instrument by which a free people govern themselves. No foreign government, foreign citizen, or foreign interest should have any hand in deciding the laws under which Americans live.” in a statement After passing.