Amid an escalating campaign led by pro-Israel lobbying groups to politically isolate him, US Republican Congressman Thomas Massie unveiled a new bill that would require the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) to register as a “foreign agent” with the US government.
The bill, called the American Political Agents Clarity Act (AIPAC Act), aims to amend the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 (FARA), which requires individuals or entities working for foreign governments with the goal of influencing U.S. policy to register with the Department of Justice.
Massey said in an interview with Redacted News that lobbying groups working for foreign countries should be subject to the same transparency, adding: “The political lobbying that takes place in the halls of Congress should be reported if it is linked to a foreign country, whether it is Britain, Australia, Turkey, Qatar or Israel,” according to Common Dreams.
Although most of AIPAC’s funders and lobbyists are American citizens, which makes it classified by the Justice Department as a domestic lobbying group, critics accuse it of close coordination with the Israeli government and believe it receives more lenient treatment compared to lobbying groups linked to other countries.
Massie is reportedly known as one of the most vocal Republican critics of President Donald Trump in Congress. He has opposed increased military spending and foreign wars, including the escalation with Iran. He is also among the few Republicans who have publicly criticized Israel, calling for a halt to US military aid due to the war in Gaza and the deaths of tens of thousands of women and children.
The bill comes at a time when Massie is facing a tough election battle in Kentucky, amid an unprecedented influx of money from pro-Israel lobbying groups to support his Republican rival, former Navy SEAL Ed Galren.
According to US media reports, the AIPAC-linked United Democracy Project spent approximately $2.6 million, while the Republican Jewish Coalition poured $4 million into supporting Gallrin. Christians United for Israel also launched a major campaign against Massie in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District.
Trump also announced his support for a Massie rival, while his political advisers Chris LaCivita and Tony Fabrizio raised more than $2 million from pro-Israel businessmen and billionaires, including investor Paul Singer and John Paulson, as well as a group linked to billionaire Miriam Adelson.
The Republican primary in Kentucky's 4th District became the most expensive in the history of U.S. House elections, with total advertising spending exceeding $25 million.
Massey said that the majority of the money used against him came from pro-Israel lobbying groups, adding, "This money didn't come from ordinary people, but from billionaires, and 95 percent of it came from the Israeli lobby." He added, "Their positions push for more wars, bombs, and foreign aid, things I voted against."
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