UNMASKING SHELL CORPORATIONS:
Voting 249 for and 173 against, the House Oct. 22 on passed a bill (HR 2513) that would require small corporations and limited liability companies to identify their true owners when they are formed and in annual filings with the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, which combats domestic and global criminal activity including the laundering of terrorism and drug funds. Because anonymously financed shell corporations tend to be relatively small operations, the bill is directed mainly at U.S.-based companies with fewer than 20 fulltime employees and annual sales or gross receipts under $5 million. The bill exempts banks, credit unions, registered broker-dealers, insurance companies, nonprofits and certain publicly traded companies. Companies would have to identify their “beneficial owners” — those who ultimately control the firm even though ownership is listed in another name. Critics said the bill would imperil business owners’ privacy rights because law enforcement could access the Treasury Department database without court-issued warrants or subpoenas.
A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.
ARKANSAS
Voting no: Bruce Westerman, R-4
TEXAS
Voting no: Louie Gohmert, R-1, John Ratcliffe, R-4
REQUIRING SUBPOENAS TO ACCESS DATABASE:
Voting 197 for and 224 against, the House on Oct. 22 defeated a Republican-sponsored motion requiring law enforcement to obtain a court-issued subpoena for access to ownership information collected by the Treasury Department under HR 2513 (above). The information consists of the “beneficial,” or actual, owner’s name, address, date of birth and driver’s license or other government ID number. Law enforcement could tap into the Treasury database only as part of an ongoing investigation, and a civil liberties unit would oversee their actions.
A yes vote was to adopt the motion.
ARKANSAS
Voting yes: Westerman
TEXAS
Voting yes: Gohmert, Ratcliffe
COMBATTING FOREIGN INTERERENCE IN U.S. ELECTIONS:
Voting 227 for and 181 against, the House on Oct. 23 passed a bill (HR 4617) that would require U.S. political campaigns to inform law enforcement when they receive offers of foreign assistance; close loopholes that allow foreign funds to illegally enter the U.S. electoral system; prohibit foreign spending on state ballot initiatives; prohibit U.S. campaigns from disclosing non-public information including poll numbers to foreign governments and their agents; and require sponsors of online political advertising to identify themselves in the ad, just as they must do in commercials run on broadcast channels.
A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.
ARKANSAS
Voting no: Westerman
TEXAS
Voting no: Gohmert, Ratcliffe
PROTECTING STATE AND LOCAL ELECTIONS:
Voting 180 for and 231 against, the House on Oct. 23 defeated an amendment that sought to remove from HR 4617 (above) a provision authorizing the U.S. attorney general to correct the spread of false logistical information about state and local elections — including misstatements of voting dates, times and places — if non-federal authorities have failed to do so.
A yes vote was to adopt the amendment.
ARKANSAS
Voting yes: Westerman
TEXAS
Voting yes: Gohmert, Ratcliffe
ATTEMPTING TO CENSURE ADAM SCHIFF:
Voting 218 for and 185 against, the House on Oct. 21 blocked a Republicansponsored resolution (H Res 630) “condemning and censuring” Rep. Adam Schiff, the chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, which is conducting an inquiry into impeachment of President Trump. The GOP measure faulted Schiff, D-Calif., for publicly mischaracterizing a July 2019 telephone conversation between Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine; for Schiff’s acknowledged misleading statements about his staff’s contacts with a whistleblower who alleged Trump acted inappropriately in that conversation; and for accusing Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign of working with Russia.
A yes vote was in opposition to the censure of Schiff.
ARKANSAS
Voting no: Westerman Not voting: None
TEXAS
Voting no: Gohmert , Ratcliffe