Warren and Kim’s bill would require National Security Service nominees to disclose information about the work of foreign governments

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Sen.-elect Andy Kim (D-N.J.) are joining forces on a bill that would require several presidential candidates involved in national security issues to publicly disclose past work for foreign governments.

The bill, introduced in both chambers on Thursday, would require Senate-confirmed heads of the Defense, State and Treasury departments, as well as the heads of all 18 intelligence agencies, to publicly disclose whether they performed any work for a foreign government. organization or political party.

“The American people should not have to worry about high-level government officials being in the pocket of a foreign government,” Warren said in a statement to The Hill.

“This bill will ensure the public and Congress can consider a candidate’s potential loyalty before confirming him.”

The legislation comes after President-elect Trump had already announced series of nominees to fill his cabinet, and the Senate will begin its review early next year.

Although candidates are often asked to respond to questionnaires that detail past work experience, these responses are not always shared with all committee members and are not usually made public.

Report from Washington Post indicates that in some cases candidates did not disclose information about working for foreign governments.

Former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis did not disclose his consulting work in the United Arab Emirates when he was nominated to lead the Pentagon in 2017.

Mattis did not list the event on his financial disclosure forms, and although he acknowledged it on Senate Armed Services Committee forms, the Post reported that the information did not reach several members of the panel.

Although the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) requires disclosure of any lobbying of a foreign government, the law will cover a broader range of activities.

Under Warren and Kim’s legislation, candidates would be required to disclose any foreign government work, while the department to which they are appointed would be required to post the information on its website.

“At a time when trust in government is at historic lows, we need to take steps to show the American people that they can trust that their government officials are working to serve their interests first,” Kim said. who is completing his term as president. representative and will introduce the bill in the House of Representatives.

“This bill will help prioritize transparency in the confirmation process, mitigate foreign influence, and strengthen the people’s confidence in presidential candidates as they seek to represent our nation’s national security interests.”

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