Washington, D.C. – March 30, 2022, U.S. Reps. Randy Weber (R-TX) and Ted Budd (R-NC) led several of their congressional colleagues in introducing the Countering Russian Influence in our Politics Act.

The bill targets U.S. environmental groups who advocate against American energy production.  It requires any U.S. organization that receives funding from Russia to register as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).  Organizations that register under FARA are subject to a host of disclosure and reporting requirements.  The bill also imposes a requirement to disclose all Russian donations since the invasion and occupation of Crimea in 2014.

Weber first sounded the alarm in 2017, warning of Russian efforts to destabilize domestic energy sources.  At the time, while he was chairman of the Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Energy, Weber joined with (then) full committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) to reveal Russian financing of anti-fracking and other Green New Deal initiatives that were intended to undermine the more conventional fossil-fuel industry.

In addition to Reps. Weber and Budd, the bill is co-sponsored by Reps. Scott Perry (R-PA), Mary Miller (R-IL), Brian Babin (R-TX), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), and Andrew Clyde (R-GA).

Read the full text of the bill HERE.

Rep. Weber said in a statement:

“Vladimir Putin knows that American energy dominance threatens his regime. To counter American energy leadership, Putin and his allies have been financing Radical environmentalists in their war on American oil and gas production. Putin manipulates these “useful idiots” to target and harass domestic American energy projects that would put us on a course to energy independence.  No more. This bill would expose those environmental front groups, with their ‘Putin paychecks’, and require them to register as foreign agents.”

Rep. Budd said in a statement:

“The prospect of Russia funneling money to U.S. environmental groups to do Russia’s bidding and actively oppose U.S. energy is a dangerous form of interference in our politics. It is time to shine a light on how and why green energy groups undermine American energy dominance, destroy American jobs, and weaken America on the world stage.” 

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