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MEMBER OF CONGRESS

Bryan Steil

Republican WI 23 statements translated

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Steil, who chairs the House Administration Committee, returns most often to election rules: voter ID and citizenship verification, barring foreign money from ballot-measure campaigns, a congressional stock-trading ban, and modernizing FEC filing. He makes his case largely by citing specific bill provisions and platform passages, and he does little self-praise or anecdote-filling compared with most members. His sharpest attacks are ideological rather than personal—he frames opponents through the Democratic Socialists of America platform, warning that “socialism is easy to elect, but it is nearly impossible to remove,” and repeatedly attributes noncitizen-voting risk to Democrats’ states, leaning on examples like New Jersey registrations rather than always supplying full evidence for broader claims.Written by AI from their statements. Updated .

Average grade
B–
74 / 100 over 16 statements
Signal 60 / 100
Relevance 89 / 100
Respect Not scored yet
Clarity 87 / 100
The usual mix, except that they lose points less than most for A story that illustrates instead of making a point.Less often than most members.What the tags mean Averaged over the 16 of 23 statements graded so far.

Statements 23

House of Representatives ·

Stop Foreign Funds in Elections Act

“I want the House to pass this bill. It stops foreign money from being used to influence state and local ballot measures and recall elections.”
Official Congressional Record

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, this bill is broadly about making sure that American elections are for American citizens only. As my colleague Mr. Morelle noted, there is a significant, gaping hole in U.S. campaign finance laws, and, in particular, that is in relation to the measures that we have spoken about, about ballot initiatives, other essential pieces of American democracy that currently allow for foreign funding to come in and influence those campaigns. While that is not an office seeker for elected office, I think it is without a doubt that those elections and those ballot initiatives are in many ways equally essential to American democracy. Closing out this gap and making sure that foreign funds are not finding their way into U.S. elections is absolutely essential. I thank my colleague, Mr. Fitzpatrick, for authoring this legislation, understanding the importance of making sure that we are rooting out foreign funds inside U.S. elections. There is a basic premise and a basic principle, and in a particular period of time when it is so simple and so easy for funds to be transmitted into these political activities here in the United States of America, an individual outside of the United States could easily move funds in to influence a U.S. election. Of course, it is illegal for a donation to be made to an individual seeking Federal elected office, but right now the underlying law does not ban that for purposes of ballot initiatives, local ballot initiatives, referenda, or recall elections. This legislation fixes that very important point. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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“I want the House to pass this bill. Current law bans foreign money in federal elections, but it still allows foreign money in state and local ballot measures and recall elections. This bill stops foreign citizens from donating to those elections too. Only American citizens should fund U.S. political causes.”
Official Congressional Record

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3535, the Stop Foreign Funds in Elections Act, introduced by my friend, Representative Brian Fitzpatrick. U.S. elections should be for U.S. citizens only, and only U.S. citizens should be participating in and donating in political causes. Today, gaps in our existing laws undermine this principle and actually permit foreign actors to fund U.S. political activities. It is true. Current law allows foreign funding to infiltrate State and local ballot initiatives, referenda, and recall elections. As we have seen in recent history, those races can attract millions of dollars in outside spending. Some of that has been foreign money, and right now that is completely legal. Shadowy groups, like Sixteen Thirty Fund, funneled millions of foreign-linked dollars into ballot initiatives and campaigns in States, including Arizona, Nevada, and Ohio. It sounds crazy, but it is true, Madam Speaker. We should all be able to agree that foreign funds should not be influencing or financing ballot measures, referenda, or recall elections. Current law, as we know, already prohibits foreign money in Federal elections, and this bill broadens that nonpartisan, commonsense prohibition to similar State and local elections. Madam Speaker, elections should be decided by Americans, and they should not be influenced or funded by foreign nationals. Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation and ensure American elections remain for American citizens only, and I reserve the balance of my time

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“I want the House to pass this bill. It stops people from other countries from giving money to state and local ballot measures.”
Official Congressional Record

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3535) to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to apply the prohibition against contributions and donations by foreign nationals in connection with elections to contributions or donations in connection with ballot initiatives and referenda. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows:

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