[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 46 (Thursday, March 14, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H2733]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        SHED LIGHT ON DARK MONEY

  (Ms. SCANLON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, last week the House passed H.R. 1, the For 
the People Act, a sweeping voting rights and government reform package 
that returns the power of our democracy to the American people.
  Since this week is Sunshine Week, I want to focus on a particular 
part of H.R. 1 that is designed to shine some much-needed sunshine on 
the corrosive influence of dark money.
  Multiple sources reported this week that the President's 2017 
inaugural fund received tens of thousands of dollars in contributions 
from shell companies to conceal illegal contributions from foreign 
donors.
  Think about that. Foreign agents lavished tens of thousands of 
dollars on the U.S. inaugural celebration so they could try to 
influence our President.
  That is why I introduced the Inaugural Fund Integrity Act, which is 
part of H.R. 1, to close loopholes in the existing regulations, to put 
an end to donations by foreign nationals and corporations, to ban 
personal use of inaugural funds, and to require disclosure of all 
donations and spending by inaugural committees.
  It is hard to think of an area more in need of sunshine than a 
shadowy slush fund rife with opportunities for government corruption.

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