Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick from Pennsylvania and Congressman Jared Golden from Maine have introduced the Stop Foreign Funds in Elections Act. This bipartisan legislation aims to prevent foreign nationals from influencing American elections, including state and local ballot initiatives, referenda, and recall elections.
Currently, foreign nationals are prohibited from contributing to candidate campaigns, but they can finance issue-based ballot measures. The new act seeks to close this loophole by extending federal prohibitions across all aspects of the electoral system. This measure is intended to prevent foreign adversaries from using indirect channels to affect public policy or election outcomes.
“American people. Foreign nationals have no place influencing our laws, our ballots, or our future,” said Fitzpatrick. “Whether it’s a presidential race or a local referendum, every taxpayer-funded election must be protected from foreign interference. This bipartisan legislation closes a dangerous loophole and sends a clear message: our democracy is not for sale.”
Golden added, “Foreign nationals should never be able to buy influence in state and local elections, but that’s exactly what current campaign finance laws allow. I’ve long been proud to partner with Rep. Fitzpatrick on making America’s political process cleaner and fairer, and this bipartisan bill would nationalize another one of Maine’s important reforms: banning foreign contributions in all elections.”
The legislation amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit foreign contributions related to any federal, state, or local ballot measure or recall election. It ensures that taxpayer-funded elections remain free from foreign money and influence.
Fitzpatrick has been active in promoting election reform through various legislative efforts such as the Let America Vote Act, AI Ads Act, CLEAN Elections Act, Bipartisan Restoring Faith in Government Act, Restoring Faith in Elections Act, Securing Our Elections Act, and Election Day Act. These initiatives focus on protecting voting rights for U.S. citizens, banning misleading AI ads in campaigns, ending gerrymandering through independent commissions, prohibiting stock trading by Congress members and their families during office tenure, establishing uniform national standards for voter ID and absentee ballots while creating a federal holiday for Election Day.
Through these reforms aimed at ensuring fair elections free from external manipulation or political biasness Congressman Fitzpatrick continues his leadership role advocating stronger election integrity measures across the nation.
