Sponsors (3)
The bill tightens post‑service restrictions and aligns DoD lists with Treasury to reduce foreign military influence and preserve classified access, but it does so at the cost of narrowing veterans' employment options, raising legal uncertainty, and adding administrative burdens.
Retired and separated DoD personnel who refrain from lobbying for listed Chinese military‑affiliated firms keep their security clearances and access, preserving their ability to support classified programs and reducing insider risk.
Aligns DoD prohibitions with Treasury and statutory lists of foreign military‑industrial actors, improving consistency across agencies in identifying risky firms and reducing gaps that foreign influence could exploit.
Gives the Secretary a 180‑day waiver authority in the national security interest, providing short‑term operational flexibility to allow needed engagements despite default restrictions.
Retired service members and former DoD civilians who accept paid employment with targeted firms risk losing security clearances, substantially limiting post‑service career options and earnings.
A broad or vague definition of 'lobbying contact' could restrict private speech and advocacy by former personnel, creating legal uncertainty about permissible post‑service activities.
Enforcement and monitoring will likely impose administrative burdens on DoD and on individuals contesting suspensions, increasing government costs and litigation risk borne by taxpayers and affected personnel.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Directs DoD to suspend or revoke clearance eligibility for former or separated DoD members and civilian employees who lobby for companies listed as Chinese military companies, with a possible 180-day waiver for national security reasons.
Suspends or revokes security clearances and eligibility for access to classified information for retired or separated Department of Defense members and DoD civilian employees who lobby on behalf of companies identified as Chinese military companies in certain federal lists. The Secretary of Defense may grant a temporary waiver (up to 180 days) if doing so is certified to be in the national security interest. The bill adopts existing statutory definitions for terms like "member" and "lobbying contact," but modifies the Lobbying Disclosure Act definition by removing a specified exclusion.
Introduced November 18, 2025 by August Pfluger · Last progress November 18, 2025