[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1524 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1524
To require annual reports on funds expended by the Federal Government
with the Trump Organization, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 5, 2019
Mr. Gallego (for himself, Mr. Ted Lieu of California, Mrs. Lawrence,
Mr. Raskin, Mr. Cohen, Ms. Jayapal, and Mr. Brendan F. Boyle of
Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Oversight and Reform
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require annual reports on funds expended by the Federal Government
with the Trump Organization, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Curb Objectionable Redirection of
Resources and Unconstitutional Payments to Trump Act'' or the ``CORRUPT
Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Kleptocracy is a tool used by autocratic leaders,
including Vladimir Putin, to exploit state resources; it
involves the operation of sophisticated networks for the
purpose of self-enrichment.
(2) Unlike prior presidents, President Trump has refused to
sell his business interests or divest himself of assets that
present potential conflicts of interest.
(3) Article I of the Constitution states that ``no Person
holding any office of profit or trust under them, shall,
without the consent of the Congress, accept any present,
emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any
King, Prince, or foreign State''.
(4) Foreign governments and foreign-held companies have
already shifted business to the President's companies in order
to curry favor with the Administration.
(5) According to reports, the Trump International Hotel has
generated at least $19,700,000 in income for the President
between September 2016 and April 2017.
(6) The National Security Council and State Department have
allegedly used taxpayers' money to pay for staff to stay at
Trump hotels and resorts, thereby benefitting the President.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) kleptocrats such as Vladimir Putin pose a threat to
United States national security by undermining financial and
Government institutions;
(2) the United States must take all steps necessary to
defend itself against kleptocratic practices; and
(3) Federal funds should not be expended in a manner that
enriches the President or any of his close relatives or
associates.
SEC. 4. REPORTS.
(a) Agency Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the head of each agency shall submit to the
Office of Government Ethics a report on the amount expended by that
agency in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 at, or any payments made to, any
covered property and shall include--
(1) any hotel stay using per diem or other funds; or
(2) the rental of any conference room or meeting facility.
(b) Office of Government Ethics Report.--Not later than 120 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Office of Government
Ethics shall submit to Congress a comprehensive report on funds
expended by any agency at, or any payments made to, a covered property
in fiscal years 2017 and 2018.
(c) Annual Report.--At the end of the next fiscal year following
the date of the enactment of this Act, and at the end of each fiscal
year thereafter, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
shall submit to Congress a report on the direct and indirect ways that
funds appropriated to agencies have benefitted a covered property,
including--
(1) funds expended by any agency at, or any payments made
to, a covered property in the previous fiscal year;
(2) regulatory actions in the previous fiscal year with a
beneficial impact on a covered property; and
(3) indirect expenditures with vendors conducting more than
$1,000,000 in business with a covered individual or with the
owners of a covered property in the previous fiscal year.
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Agency.--The term ``agency''--
(A) has the meaning given the term--
(i) ``Executive agency'' under section 105
of title 5, United States Code; and
(ii) ``military department'' under section
102 of title 5, United States Code; and
(B) means--
(i) any other establishment in the
executive branch (including the Executive
Office of the President, the United States
Postal Service, and the Postal Regulatory
Commission);
(ii) an office, agency, or other
establishment in the legislative branch; and
(iii) an office, agency, or other
establishment in the judicial branch.
(2) Covered individual.--The term ``covered individual''
means--
(A) the President;
(B) a relative of the President; and
(C) with respect to an agency that is an Executive
department, the head of the Executive department.
(3) Covered property.--The term ``covered property''
means--
(A) any property controlled by the Trump
Organization; or
(B) an organization or business controlled by or
associated with a covered person (including any known
shell company), any member of the President's family,
or any employee of the Trump Organization.
(4) Executive department.--The term ``Executive
department'' has the meaning given the term in section 101 of
title 5, United States Code.
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