Golden, Hinson introduce bipartisan bill to strengthen lobbying ban for senior government officials

May 1, 2026 Press Release WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) today reintroduced the bipartisan Promoting the Unbiased Role of Employees in the Executive Act ( PURE Executive Act ) with Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (IA-02). The bipartisan bill imposes a five-year ban on senior executive branch employees from lobbying an agency where they had been employed. It also creates a lifetime ban on senior executive branch employees lobbying for foreign governments or companies tied to them. “Senior government officials’ decisions should be about serving their country — not how to position themselves for the most profitable, influential job possible after they leave civil service,” Golden said. “Further restricting these leaders from immediate lobbying gigs will help ensure they keep their eyes on the actual prize: better outcomes for working families.” “Washington insiders shouldn’t be able to leave their taxpayer-funded posts and use their status to immediately cash out and lobby their politician friends, and they should never be able to use sensitive U.S. intelligence to benefit a foreign adversary,” Hinson said. “This is exactly the kind of corruption Iowans sent me to Congress to root out – we have to drain the swamp and clean up Washington.” Current rules for executive branch officials leaving federal service are limited, allowing individuals to quickly begin lobbying the agency they just left or even lobby on behalf of foreign companies or governments. While some short-term bans can apply to certain officials — one year for some and two years for the most senior leaders — that moratorium has not meaningfully slowed the revolving door between the executive branch and high-paying lobbying jobs. Meanwhile, exemptions still remain for lobbying for foreign interests. The PURE Executive Act expands the lifetime foreign lobbying ban to include any foreign entity or corporations controlled by foreign governments, and implements a five-year ban from lobbying their former agency. Full text of the bill can be found here . ### Issues : Good Government, Anti-Corruption & Clean Elections