Sponsor
Jon Husted
Senator · R-OH
Senator · R-OH
The bill trades eliminating agency equity ownership (reducing conflicts and generating predictable receipts to modestly lower federal debt) against risks to agency missions and partnerships, potential market losses and legal/transaction costs from forced divestitures, and added administrative burden.
Taxpayers: Agencies will sell federal equity holdings over an 8-year schedule, converting ownership into cash that provides a predictable stream of receipts which can be applied to reduce the national debt and modestly lower net federal debt if holdings are sizable.
Federal agencies and the public: Removing agency ownership stakes in private, for‑profit firms reduces conflicts of interest and the appearance of improper influence in agency decision‑making.
Agencies and their partners: Agencies may lose strategic or programmatic equity stakes that supported mission delivery, research partnerships, or long‑term collaborations, weakening program effectiveness or innovation.
Taxpayers: Forced sales during unfavorable market conditions could lock in losses or produce lower returns, reducing the expected debt-reduction benefit and potentially harming the federal balance sheet.
Financial institutions and contractors: Divestitures could complicate existing contracts and governance arrangements, trigger legal and transaction costs, and introduce uncertainty into public–private collaborations.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires federal agencies to sell private‑company equity interests within 8 years and transfer proceeds to the Treasury to pay down the national debt.
Official title: Require that Federal Government equity stakes in private companies be liquidated to pay down the debt, and for other purposes.
Introduced June 16, 2026 by Jon Husted · Last progress June 16, 2026
Requires every federal agency to identify and sell any equity interests it holds in privately owned, for‑profit companies and remit the proceeds to the Treasury to pay down the national debt. Agencies must liquidate any covered equity investment they hold within 8 years of enactment and must also sell any covered equity acquired after enactment within 8 years of acquisition.