Government Accountability

Rep. Porter’s Vote By Mail Tracking Act Passes House with Broad, Bipartisan Support

| Posted in Press Releases

Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed Rep. Katie Porter’s (D-CA) Vote By Mail Tracking Act to boost confidence in our elections and help Americans verify their vote is counted. The bill would add standardized official barcodes to each mail-in ballot, so voters can track their ballot’s status. In advance of yesterday’s vote, Rep. Porter delivered remarks on the…

Rep. Porter Bill to Modernize Permitting Process Passes House

| Posted in Press Releases

Last night, the House of Representatives unanimously passed Rep. Katie Porter’s (D-CA) Electronic Permitting Modernization Act. The bill, co-led by Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), would streamline the Department of Interior’s permitting process by establishing a central, online location linking to each type of permit.  “Inefficient, outdated processes waste taxpayer dollars and…

As Election Season Kicks Into Gear, Rep. Porter Introduces Legislation to Root Out Campaign Finance Abuses

| Posted in Press Releases

Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) today announced the introduction of two bills to improve transparency in political spending and limit the influence of foreign actors. As ads plaster the airwaves and campaigns kick into full gear, Americans are often left in the dark about who funds advertisements intended to sway our elections and how our donations are being used. Her proposals would combat…

Rep. Porter Introduces Bill to Strengthen Ethical Standards in Congress

| Posted in Press Releases

Reps. Katie Porter (D-CA) and Chris Pappas (D-NH) this week introduced legislation to codify the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), the only independent internal watchdog that probes ethical breaches in Congress. Every two years, Congress passes new rules to regulate how OCE operates, and in 2023, House Republicans voted to weaken OCE and bog down investigations with…

OC Register: Bill from Rep. Katie Porter would require presidents disclose more financial info

| Posted in In the News

Up to 12 years’ worth of presidents’ and vice presidents’ tax returns would be public information under new legislation from Rep. Katie Porter. Named the Presidential Ethics Reform Act, Porter, D-Irvine, alongside Republican Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, said the legislation is aimed at providing “full honesty and transparency from presidents and vice presidents” to “restore Americans’…

Spectrum News: Porter presses bipartisan presidential ethics bill despite potential snags

| Posted in In the News

Back in March during an impeachment inquiry hearing by the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif. was frustrated by her Republican colleagues' continued push for the impeachment of President Joe Biden, despite the lack of evidence of wrongdoing. “This impeachment inquiry should end today. And where should we go from here? We should stop partisan attacks on each other and…

Rep. Porter Introduces New Legislation to Restore Trust in Congress

| Posted in Press Releases

Today, Representative Katie Porter (D-CA) introduced five bills that will help Congress function more effectively and curb the influence of special interests in government. Research shows there is a growing appetite from the American people for government reform and modernization. The 118th Congress has been one of the least effective in history, suggesting that…

The Hill: Porter to propose bills to modernize lobbying database, extend ‘cooling-off’ period

| Posted in In the News

Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) will introduce a package of bills Tuesday intended to help Congress run more efficiently and curb influence-peddling by former members of Congress and government officials, her office told The Hill. The package of five bills includes legislation to modernize the government’s federal lobbying disclosure database and enact a blanket two-year ban on lobbying by…

Porter, Comer Introduce Landmark Presidential Ethics Reform Act

| Posted in Press Releases

Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) and House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-KY) today are introducing the Presidential Ethics Reform Act, a landmark federal ethics reform bill to deliver transparency to the American people and enable robust congressional oversight. In addition to requiring disclosure of conflicts of interest while in office, the bill requires…

AP News: Congress aims to overhaul presidential ethics rules with a plan led by an unlikely pair of lawmakers

| Posted in In the News

Bipartisan legislation introduced in the House on Wednesday would require presidents and vice presidents to publicly disclose tax returns before, during and after their time in the White House as Congress makes an election-year push to curb foreign influence in American politics.  The proposal, led by the unusual pairing of Republican Rep. James Comer and progressive Democratic Rep.…