Lawmaker proposes amendment to block foreign-adversary influence in state and local governments

A lawmaker proposed an amendment directing the secretary of state, working with the attorney general and the secretary of homeland security, to develop a strategy aimed at eliminating foreign-adversary influence over state and local governments, the lawmaker said in committee remarks.

The lawmaker, who said he previously served as a senator from Guam, cited recent incidents and reporting as evidence of growing influence. He pointed to the guilty plea of Eileen Wang, described in the remarks as a former mayor of Arcadia, California, for acting on behalf of the PRC without registration under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, and referenced a New York Times investigation that reported the PRC had helped unseat a state senator and expanded its role in city politics. "My amendment offers a solution to what is clearly a growing problem," the lawmaker said.

Under the proposal described in the hearing, the secretary of state would identify which foreign adversaries are targeting non-federal governments and how they exert malign influence, assess how federal agencies and private-sector partners currently identify bad actors, and make recommendations for improving that approach. The lawmaker said the amendment would also direct the department to recommend steps to stop efforts to influence, pressure or threaten non-federal officials.

The remarks included an anecdote about calls received while serving in Guam, in which agents urged officials to "lay back," which the lawmaker used to illustrate the methods he says adversaries employ. The lawmaker also noted recent prosecutions and press reporting as part of the rationale for the amendment.

The transcript did not record a formal motion vote or a bill number tied to the amendment, and no outcome was announced during the remarks. Committee action, scheduling or a formal vote on the amendment was not recorded in the provided segment.