EXCLUSIVE: House Committee Chairman Introduces Bill to Block Family Members of Executive Branch Officials from Working for Foreign Companies
House China Committee Chairman Mike Gallagher has unveiled a new bill that aims to prevent immediate family members of officials within the executive branch of the U.S. government from holding positions in certain foreign companies. The bill, known as the “Deterring Attempts at Dirty Deals by Youngsters Act” or the “DADDY Act,” specifically targets family members of the president, vice president, and cabinet officials.
The purpose of the bill is to ensure that immediate family members, including sons, daughters, siblings, and in-laws, cannot sit on the boards of foreign companies while their family member holds office. The legislation would cover a wide range of positions, such as the president, vice president, secretaries of various departments including State, Treasury, Defense, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Health and Human Services, Transportation, Energy, Education, Veterans Affairs, and Homeland Security, as well as the director of National Intelligence.
Representative Mike Gallagher, a Republican from Wisconsin, is the driving force behind the bill. This development comes amid the ongoing House impeachment inquiry against President Biden and the Republicans’ investigations into the Biden family’s business dealings overseas.
The bill defines immediate family as a spouse, child, mother, father, sibling, grandchild, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, as well as adopted and step relatives. This comprehensive definition aims to close any potential loopholes that may be exploited.
The introduction of this bill follows the recent revelation by the House Oversight Committee that the Biden family and their associates received over $24 million from foreign countries between 2014 and 2019. These funds were allegedly obtained through various business deals and investments while Joe Biden served as vice president and continued into his presidential campaign. The committee’s investigation has shed light on Hunter Biden’s business dealings in China, Ukraine, and other foreign nations. Notably, his role on the board of Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma Holdings has come under significant scrutiny.
Representative Gallagher has been quite vocal about his disdain for Hunter Biden’s activities. He referred to him as the “ultimate swamp creature” and criticized his influence peddling and profiteering. Gallagher believes that such behavior should be illegal and hopes that the proposed bill will help curb corruption and prevent family members of executive branch officials from profiting from their positions in government.
The focus of the bill is on companies from countries that are adversarial to the United States. However, it does include exemptions for companies from NATO countries, members of the Five Eyes Alliance (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States), as well as Japan, South Korea, and Israel.
If passed, violations of the law would carry penalties of up to $250,000 in fines, up to five years in prison, or both.
The bill’s announcement comes on the heels of House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer subpoenaing personal and business bank records belonging to Hunter Biden and James Biden, the president’s brother, as part of the impeachment inquiry. Comer claims that the obtained financial records, coupled with witness testimony, indicate that Joe Biden misused his public office to benefit his family financially.
As this bill makes its way through the legislative process, it remains to be seen how it will be received and if it will gain bipartisan support. However, it signals a growing push to address concerns surrounding the potential conflicts of interest and ethical considerations regarding the involvement of family members of high-ranking officials in foreign business dealings.