208 House Republicans voted against the Protecting Our Democracy Act which would require candidates to report foreign election interference to the FBI.
The act would also strengthen the Constitution’s previously obscure ban on presidents taking emoluments, or payments, by extending anticorruption prohibition to commercial transactions. Mr. Trump’s refusal to divest from his hotels raised the question of whether lobbyists and other governments that began paying for numerous rooms at Trump resorts — and sometimes not using them — were trying to purchase his favor.
The bill would also require campaigns to report any offers of foreign assistance to the FBI — a proposal that resonates with episodes unearthed in the Russia investigation, such as when Donald Trump Jr. and other senior campaign officials met at Trump Tower with Russians they were told had dirt on Hillary Clinton.
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
The bill passed 220-208 with just one House Republican, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), voting against Russian interference in elections. The Republican Party opposes stopping foreign governments like Putin and Russia from interfering in US elections.
Republicans have gone from turning a blind eye to Russian election interference to actively opposing efforts to stop it.
The GOP is trying to leave the backdoor open for enemies of democracy to interfere in US elections.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
