House to Vote This Month on Legislation to Combat Foreign Interference in Elections
The House will vote on legislation later this month aimed at limiting foreign interference in U.S. elections after a bipartisan report from the Senate Intelligence Committee this week called on Congress to take action on the issue. The move by House Democrats is likely to place additional pressure on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), whom Democrats have targeted on election security. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) announced the House will take up legislation that would require campaigns to report "illicit offers" of election assistance from foreign governments or individuals to both the FBI and the Federal Election Commission (FEC). The legislation, known as the SHIELD Act and just introduced this week, also includes language designed to ensure that political advertisements on social media are subject to the same sponsor disclosure rules as ads on television and radio broadcasts.... The House Administration Committee is scheduled to mark up the SHIELD Act next week prior to the full House taking it up, with committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) among the bill's key sponsors. Other sponsors include House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.), the chairman of the Democracy Reform Task Force.