Rep. Moulton introduces bill in U.S. House to restrict federal personnel at election sites

The new bill authored by U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton in the U.S. House aims to prevent federal law enforcement or military presence at election sites without congressional approval, according to the U.S. Congress.

H.R.7626 was introduced on Feb. 20, 2026 during the 2026 regular session of the 119th Congress. The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill prohibits the use of federal funds to deploy law enforcement or military personnel to polling places or other domestic election sites from the date of enactment until December 31, 2026, unless specific authorization from Congress is provided. The legislation aims to ensure that federal presence at elections does not occur without legislative approval, thus maintaining the integrity of the electoral process. Additionally, the bill clarifies that individuals exercising their right to vote are not affected by this prohibition. This measure is introduced under the title “Defend Elections from Trump Act.”

The bill was introduced only by Rep. Seth Moulton (Democrat-MA-6th District).

Since the beginning of the current session, Rep. Moulton has introduced another 13 bills, with one of them being adopted.

Congressional bills can originate in either the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate, except for revenue-related measures, which must begin in the House. After introduction, bills are assigned to committees for review, hearings, amendments and debate before they can advance to a vote in each chamber. If both chambers approve identical versions, the legislation is sent to the president, who may sign it into law or veto it. Congress operates in two-year terms, with each term numbered sequentially and divided into two annual sessions. The legislative process and official bill records are maintained by the U.S. Congress and published through Congress.gov.

Seth Moulton is a Representative from Massachusetts, born on October 24, 1978, in Salem, Essex County. He graduated from Harvard University with a B.S. in 2001 and later earned an M.B.A. and an M.P.P. from the same institution in 2011; he also served in the United States Marine Corps from 2002 to 2008. Moulton has been elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Fourteenth Congress and to the five succeeding Congresses since January 3, 2015.

Information in this article was obtained from the U.S. Congress. The source data can be found here.