Senator Chuck Grassley is proposing new restrictions for U.S. military officers who work on behalf of foreign governments when they retire. Grassley is hoping the plan gets inserted in the annual defense bill congress approves.
“A lot of people in the defense department are looking for employment after the defense department,” Grassley says. “There’s a lot of pressure not to put in those restrictions.”
The annual National Defense Authorization Act is eligible for debate in the Senate. Grassley and Senator Elizabeth Warren introduced a plan last month to prohibit service members from negotiating for a job with a foreign government or a private contractor that works for a foreign government while they’re still on active duty.
“We don’t want it to be a compromise of national security,” Grassley says. “That gives us a stronger argument in putting this prohibition in the legislation.”
The proposal also would require creation of a searchable database of retired military officers who work as consultants or contractors for foreign governments and how much they’re paid. Retired military officers must receive permission from their branch of the military, the secretary of state and congress before accepting compensation from any foreign government, but there is no criminal or civil penalty for failing to do so.