Protecting Our Democracy Act
This bill addresses issues involving (1) abuses of presidential power; (2) checks and balances, accountability, and transparency; and (3) foreign interference in elections.
Specifically, regarding abuses of presidential power, the bill
- requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the President to submit to Congress specified materials relating to certain pardons,
- prohibits self-pardons by the President,
- suspends the statute of limitations for federal offenses committed by a sitting President or Vice President,
- prohibits the acceptance of foreign or domestic emoluments, and
- sets forth provisions regarding Office of Government Ethics and Office of Special Counsel jurisdiction and enforcement authority.
To address checks and balances, accountability, and transparency, the bill
- authorizes specified actions to enforce congressional subpoenas,
- imposes limits on presidential declarations of emergencies,
- requires DOJ to maintain a log of specified communications between itself and the White House,
- requires cause for removal of inspectors general,
- increases whistleblower protections,
- requires a candidate for President or Vice President to submit to the Federal Election Commission a copy of the individual's income tax returns for the 10 most recent taxable years, and
- establishes penalties for political appointees who engage in prohibited political activities.
To protect against foreign interference in elections, the bill
- requires federal campaign reporting of foreign contacts,
- requires federal campaigns to establish a foreign contacts compliance policy, and
- specifies that foreign donations to political campaigns and candidates of nonpublic information relating to a candidate are prohibited.