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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman August Pfluger (R-TX) introduced a package of bills to counter foreign adversarial influence in America. The package includes three critical, bipartisan, bicameral bills that will prevent senior government officials from ever lobbying on behalf of an adversarial nation such as China, Russia, North Korea, or Iran.
The introduction was first reported on in Fox News. Read the story here.
“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. Yet far too often, we see individuals leave government only to lobby on behalf of foreign adversaries who wish to see America fail,” said Rep. Pfluger. “This is a dangerous flaw in the incentive structure for those serving at the highest levels of government, and we must fix it to prevent foreign entities from gaining influence from within. By permanently banning former senior government officials from lobbying for countries of concern, closing FARA loopholes, and stripping security clearances from any former DOW personnel who lobby for China, these commonsense, bipartisan, bicameral bills move us one step closer to ensuring that those in Washington are here to serve America, not undermine it.”
The three bills included in the package Rep. Pfluger introduced today are:
· The Restricting Ex-Vetted Officials from Knowledge Exploitation ("REVOKE") Act. This bill would require the Secretary of Defense to revoke security clearances for former Department of War (DOW) personnel who engage in lobbying activities on behalf of China. This bill was included in the House-passed NDAA.
· Congressman Don Davis (NC-01) is co-leading this legislation in the House.
· Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) plans to introduce the Senate companion bill today alongside Senator Whitehouse (D-RI).
· Text of this legislation is available here.
· The Preventing Adversary Influence, Disinformation, and Obscured Foreign Financing ("PAID OFF") Act of 2025. This bill would close loopholes that allow unregistered agents of foreign adversaries to lobby in the United States. This bill was included in the Senate-passed NDAA.
· Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06) is co-leading this legislation in the House.
· Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced a Senate companion alongside Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jim Risch (R-ID), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Tom Tillis (R-NC), Peter Welch (D-VT), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and John Kennedy (R-LA).
· Text of this legislation is available here.
· The Conflict-free Leaving Employment and Activity Restrictions ("CLEAR") Path Act. This bill would extend existing State Department post-government employment (PGE) restrictions to more government employees, enacting a permanent lifetime ban for Agency Heads, Deputies, and Senate-confirmed employees lobbying on behalf of countries of concern such as China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Cuba.
· Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06) is co-leading this legislation in the House.
· Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced a Senate companion alongside Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Jim Risch (R-ID).
· Text of this legislation is available here.
“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,” said Sen. Cornyn. “These commonsense bills would root out attempts of malign foreign interference and better safeguard U.S. decision making.”
“Our government should work for the American people, not foreign actors,” said Rep. Crow. “Throughout my time in Congress, I have worked to fight corruption, protect America’s national security, and put safeguards in place to keep our citizens safe. That’s why I’m leading bipartisan bills to help protect America, restore public trust, and stop the corrupt foreign influence of adversaries like Russia and the Chinese Communist Party.”
“We must stop U.S. federal employees from engaging in lobbying on behalf of adversarial foreign actors. It is crucial to protect our political system from harmful foreign influence that could jeopardize national security, economic stability, and our democracy,” said Rep. Davis.
The package of legislation is also supported by expert outside organizations, including the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) Action.
"FDD Action strongly supports this comprehensive legislative package to combat foreign adversary influence on America's national security apparatus," said Nick Stewart, Managing Director of Advocacy at FDD Action." The CLEAR PATH Act's permanent lifetime ban on senior officials lobbying for countries of concern like China, Russia, and Iran, combined with the PAID OFF Act's closure of FARA loopholes and the REVOKE Act's security clearance revocations for former DOD personnel who lobby for China, represents a critical defense against foreign malign influence. These commonsense reforms ensure that public service and security clearances cannot be weaponized and leveraged by America's adversaries. We commend Representative Pfluger for his leadership in protecting American national security from the threat of foreign lobbying and influence operations."
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