{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://katherineclark.house.gov/press-releases?ID=D9E53742-347D-4570-AE17-8F68C7901CF5", "Assistant Speaker Clark Votes to Restore, Strengthen, and Protect Our Democracy", "2021-12-09", "2021", "2021-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Katherine M. Clark", "C001101", "katherineclark.house.gov", "clark", "https://katherineclark.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Protecting Our Democracy Act also includes a provision authored by the Assistant Speaker that would prohibit the President, Vice President, and Cabinet members from contracting with the federal government\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark (MA-5) joined House Democrats to pass the Protecting Our Democracy Act \u2014 a sweeping package of reforms that will strengthen America\u2019s democratic institutions and protect them against future presidents who seek to abuse the power of their office.\n\n\u201cNothing is more fundamental to protecting our democracy than ensuring the integrity of our government. Because the President and Executive Branch members have the power to affect how our tax dollars are spent, who the federal government does business with, and the integrity of America\u2019s standing in a global economy, the American people must trust that they will prioritize families and voters before personal gain,\u201d said Assistant Speaker Clark. \u201cThis comprehensive legislation will restore the government\u2019s system of checks and balances, strengthen accountability and transparency, and protect America\u2019s elections from foreign interference no matter who is occupying the White House.\u201d\n\nThe Protecting Our Democracy Act was first introduced in 2020, and reflects Congress\u2019 determination to restore the guardrails of our democratic systems. This year, the bill also stands as the third pillar of the 117th Congress\u2019 efforts to protect, support, and restore the people\u2019s faith in America\u2019s democratic systems \u2014 complementing both H.R. 1, the For the People Act, and H.R. 4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.\n\nThe package includes a provision authored by the Assistant Speaker that would prohibit the President, Vice President, and Cabinet members from contracting with the federal government.\n\nSpecifically, the Protecting Our Democracy Act will:\n\nPrevent Presidential abuses:\n\nPrevent abuse of the pardon power\n\nEnsure no President is above the law by suspending the statute of limitations for any federal offense committed by a sitting president or vice president\n\nEnforce the Foreign and Domestic Emoluments Clauses of the Constitution\n\nRestore our system of checks and balances, strengthen accountability, and transparency:\n\nEnforce Congressional subpoenas\n\nReassert Congressional power of the purse by enhancing the Impoundment Control Act (ICA)\n\nStrengthen Congressional oversight of Presidential Emergency Declarations\n\nProvide security from political interference in the Justice Department (DOJ) by requiring reports of communications between DOJ and the White House and ensuring that any inappropriate communications are reported to Congress\n\nProtect Inspector General independence\n\nProtect whistleblowers\n\nProvide accountability for acting officials\n\nStrengthen Hatch Act enforcement and penalties\n\nPromote efficient Presidential transitions\n\nRequire Presidential and Vice-Presidential tax transparency\n\nProtect Our Elections\n\nEnsure reporting of foreign interference in elections\n\nPrevent foreign interference in elections by clarifying that the definition of a \u201cthing of value\u201d in the Federal Election Campaign Act\n\nTo read the full bill, click here. To read the section-by-section, click here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:37:48Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://katherineclark.house.gov/press-releases?ID=D9E53742-347D-4570-AE17-8F68C7901CF5"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9265579283237457, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}