Welch and Cornyn’s Bipartisan Bill to Mitigate Foreign Influence on U.S. Policymaking Passes Through Committee

Jan 15, 2026
Legislation would ban former Senate-confirmed government employees from lobbying for countries of concern
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.),a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today celebrated the advancement of theConflict-free Leaving Employment and Activity Restrictions (CLEAR) Path Act, bipartisan legislation introduced alongsideSenators John Cornyn (R-Texas),Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), andJim Risch (R-Idaho), which would mitigate foreign influence on U.S. policymaking by prohibiting former Senate-confirmed government employees from lobbying on behalf of countries of concern. The bill advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee with bipartisan support.
“Public trust in our democratic institutions is eroding. It’s vital we set higher standards against potential conflicts of interest for former government employees, particularly when it involves foreign adversaries that might be working to influence U.S. policy,”said Senator Welch. “I’m thankful for the support of my Judiciary Committee colleagues on our bipartisan legislation and look forward to bringing this bill to the Senate floor.”
“Foreign adversaries with ill intentions should not wield influence on American policymaking, nor should they exploit our own citizens to intercede on their behalf,”said Senator Cornyn. “This commonsense legislation would root out attempts of malign foreign interference and ban high-level former U.S. government employees from lobbying for countries of concern like Russia and China.”
“Corrupt foreign nations put their thumb on the scales of American policy through both secret and overt channels of influence. Senior U.S. government officials should not be allowed to sell their expertise and access to benefit America’s adversaries after they leave public service, and I’m pleased to partner with Senators Cornyn and Welch to clear this bipartisan measure through the Judiciary Committee,”said Senator Whitehouse.
“It isn’t right for senior government officials to turn their public service experience into a payout from malign foreign governments,”said Senator Risch. “This bill will help prevent corruption at the highest levels of our government, protect our national security, and ensure that our public servants do not abuse their power for the good of America’s adversaries.”
With attempts by foreign actors to manipulate the U.S. political and governing processes in recent years, theCLEAR Path Actwould seek to mitigate foreign malign influence in our political system by:
Senator Welch has led bipartisan efforts to combat the influence of foreign entities in American government and elections. Last Congress, Senator Welch cosponsored the bicameralGet Foreign Money Out of U.S. Elections Actto close a campaign finance loophole created by theCitizens United v. FECdecision that allows foreign entities to contribute unlimited sums of money into American elections.
Read and downloadthe full text of theCLEAR Path Act.
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