Overview
- Reporting this week about an FBI probe into a senior GOP aide and mentions of declassified files alleging interns tied to foreign governments prompted Rep. Kat Cammack to renew calls for a vote on H.Res.500.
- Cammack’s resolution would require criminal background checks for House staff, public disclosure of staff nationalities and foreign payments, and would task the House sergeant-at-arms with screening at an estimated $750 per staffer.
- Cammack says leadership told her the measure needs 100 co-sponsors to reach the floor and she asserts House leaders have resisted bringing the resolution up for a vote.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson has separately voiced support for banning romantic or sexual relationships between members and staff, a proposal framed as addressing power imbalances and ethics risks in offices.
- Congress currently has no mandatory, across-the-board vetting or disclosure rules for staff, which critics say leaves offices vulnerable to foreign influence and raises practical questions about cost, privacy, and who would enforce new checks.