The Committee on House Administration passed the Stopping Harmful Interference in Elections for a Lasting Democracy (SHIELD) Act intended to close loopholes in foreign spending in U.S. elections as well as improve disclosure and transparency rules.
“The SHIELD Act closes gaps in the law that allow foreign nationals and foreign governments to launder money into our elections,”Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., the chairwoman of the committee who introduced the bill, said during the bill’s markup. “It promotes full transparency of the sources behind online campaign advertising. It codifies a basic norm that political committees should report offers of illicit campaign assistance from foreign governments to federal authorities, rather than welcome interference from foreign governments. We should all be able to agree that we need to protect our democracy, and with a sense of urgency. This is not a partisan opinion. Nothing less than our national security is at stake.”
