Protecting Our Democracy Act

Bill: 117-hr-5314
Sponsor: Rep. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA-28]
Introduced: 2021-09-21 in the House
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Administrative remedies
Appropriations
Budget process
Civil actions and liability
Congressional committees
Congressional oversight
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Criminal procedure and sentencing
Defense spending
Department of Justice
Elections, voting, political campaign regulation
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Evidence and witnesses
Executive agency funding and structure
Federal officials
Federal-Indian relations
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
House of Representatives
Intelligence activities, surveillance, classified information
Judicial procedure and administration
Judicial review and appeals
Labor standards
Lawyers and legal services
Legal fees and court costs
Merit Systems Protection Board
Military operations and strategy
Office of Government Ethics
Office of Special Counsel
Political parties and affiliation
Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents
Research administration and funding
Right of privacy
Scientific communication
Senate
Tariffs
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
War and emergency powers

Summary:
action_date: 2021-09-21
text: 

Protecting Our Democracy Act

 
This bill addresses issues involving (1) abuses of presidential power; (2) checks and balances, accountability, and transparency; and (3) foreign interference in elections.
 
Specifically, regarding abuses of presidential power, the bill
 
 
requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the President to submit to Congress specified materials relating to certain pardons,
 
 prohibits self-pardons by the President,
 
suspends the statute of limitations for federal offenses committed by a sitting President or Vice President,
 
prohibits the acceptance of foreign or domestic emoluments, and
 
sets forth provisions regarding Office of Government Ethics and Office of Special Counsel jurisdiction and enforcement authority.
 
 
To address checks and balances, accountability, and transparency, the bill 
 
 
authorizes specified actions to enforce congressional subpoenas,
 
imposes limits on presidential declarations of emergencies,
 
requires DOJ to maintain a log of specified communications between it and the White House,
 
requires cause for removal of inspectors general,
 
increases whistleblower protections,
 
requires a candidate for President or Vice President to submit to the Federal Election Commission a copy of the individual's income tax returns for the 10 most recent taxable years, and
 
establishes penalties for political appointees who engage in prohibited political activities.
 
 
To protect against foreign interference in elections, the bill

 
requires federal campaign reporting of foreign contacts,
 
requires federal campaigns to establish a foreign contacts compliance policy, and 
 
specifies that foreign donations to political campaigns and candidates of nonpublic information relating to a candidate are prohibited. 
 

action_date: 2021-12-09
text: 

Protecting Our Democracy Act

 
This bill addresses issues involving (1) abuses of presidential power; (2) checks and balances, accountability, and transparency; and (3) election integrity and security.
 
Specifically, regarding abuses of presidential power, the bill
 
 
requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the President to submit to Congress specified materials relating to certain pardons,
 
 prohibits presidential self-pardons,
 
suspends the statute of limitations for federal offenses committed by a sitting President or Vice President,
 
prohibits the acceptance of foreign or domestic emoluments, and
 
sets forth provisions regarding Office of Government Ethics and Office of Special Counsel jurisdiction and enforcement authority.
 
 
To address checks and balances, accountability, and transparency, the bill 
 
 
authorizes specified actions to enforce congressional subpoenas,
 
imposes limits on presidential declarations of emergencies,
 
requires DOJ to maintain a log of specified communications between it and the White House,
 
requires cause for removal of inspectors general,
 
increases whistleblower protections, and
 
requires a candidate for President or Vice President to provide copies of tax returns for the 10 most recent taxable years to the Federal Election Commission.
 
 
To address election integrity and security, the bill

 
requires federal campaign reporting of foreign contacts,
 
makes various changes to requirements concerning foreign donations to political campaigns and candidates and foreign contributions to online electioneering communications,
 
prohibits distribution of materially deceptive audio or visual media prior to an election (i.e., deepfakes), and
 
establishes a program to support states and localities transition to ranked choice voting systems.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2021-12-13
text: Received in the Senate.
action_date: 2021-12-09
text: The Clerk was authorized to correct section numbers, punctuation, and cross references, and to make other necessary technical and conforming corrections in the engrossment of H.R. 5314.
action_date: 2021-12-09
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2021-12-09
text: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 220 - 208 (Roll no. 440).
action_date: 2021-12-09
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 220 - 208 (Roll no. 440).
action_date: 2021-12-09
text: On motion to recommit Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 212 - 217 (Roll no. 439).
action_date: 2021-12-09
text: The previous question on the motion to recommit was ordered pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XIX.
action_date: 2021-12-09
text: Mr. Davis, Rodney moved to recommit to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. (text: CR H7616)
action_date: 2021-12-09
text: The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
action_date: 2021-12-09
text: UNFINISHED BUSINESS - The Chair announced that the unfinished business was the question on agreeing to amendments which had been debated earlier and on which further proceedings had been postponed. (consideration: CR H7613)
action_date: 2021-12-09
text: POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Ocasio-Cortez amendment No. 25, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Comer demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced.
action_date: 2021-12-09
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 838, the House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Ocasio-Cortez amendment No. 25.
action_date: 2021-12-09
text: POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Carolyn B. Maloney en bloc No. 2, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendments and by voice vote, announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Comer demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced.
action_date: 2021-12-09
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 838, the House proceeded with 20 minutes of debate on the Carolyn B. Maloney amendment en bloc No. 2.
action_date: 2021-12-09
text: POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Carolyn B. Maloney en bloc No. 1, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendments and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Comer demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced.
action_date: 2021-12-09
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 838, the House proceeded with 20 minutes of debate on the Carolyn B. Maloney amendment en bloc No. 1.
action_date: 2021-12-09
text: DEBATE - The House continued with debate on H.R. 5314.
action_date: 2021-12-09
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 5314.
action_date: 2021-12-09
text: Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 5314, S. 1605 and S. 610 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit. Measure will be considered read. Specified amendments are in order. Rule makes in order for the Speaker may entertain motions offered by the Majority Leader or a designee that the House suspend the rules as though under clause 1 of rule XV with respect to multiple measures that were the object of motions to suspend the rules on certain legislative days.
action_date: 2021-12-09
text: Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 838. (consideration: CR H7562-7617)
action_date: 2021-12-07
text: Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 838 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 5314, S. 1605 and S. 610 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit. Measure will be considered read. Specified amendments are in order. Rule makes in order for the Speaker may entertain motions offered by the Majority Leader or a designee that the House suspend the rules as though under clause 1 of rule XV with respect to multiple measures that were the object of motions to suspend the rules on certain legislative days.
action_date: 2021-09-22
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
action_date: 2021-09-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, the Budget, Transportation and Infrastructure, Rules, Foreign Affairs, Ways and Means, Intelligence (Permanent Select), and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2021-09-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, the Budget, Transportation and Infrastructure, Rules, Foreign Affairs, Ways and Means, Intelligence (Permanent Select), and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2021-09-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, the Budget, Transportation and Infrastructure, Rules, Foreign Affairs, Ways and Means, Intelligence (Permanent Select), and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2021-09-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, the Budget, Transportation and Infrastructure, Rules, Foreign Affairs, Ways and Means, Intelligence (Permanent Select), and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2021-09-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, the Budget, Transportation and Infrastructure, Rules, Foreign Affairs, Ways and Means, Intelligence (Permanent Select), and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2021-09-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, the Budget, Transportation and Infrastructure, Rules, Foreign Affairs, Ways and Means, Intelligence (Permanent Select), and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2021-09-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, the Budget, Transportation and Infrastructure, Rules, Foreign Affairs, Ways and Means, Intelligence (Permanent Select), and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2021-09-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, the Budget, Transportation and Infrastructure, Rules, Foreign Affairs, Ways and Means, Intelligence (Permanent Select), and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2021-09-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, the Budget, Transportation and Infrastructure, Rules, Foreign Affairs, Ways and Means, Intelligence (Permanent Select), and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2021-09-21
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2021-09-21
text: Introduced in House