Americans Abroad Caucus

Millions of Americans, including military personnel and civilians, live and work across the world. Although they live overseas, many of these U.S. citizens continue to vote and pay taxes in the United States Whether or not they work for American businesses overseas, they help increase exports of American goods and services because they traditionally buy American goods, sell American goods, and create business opportunities for U.S. companies and workers. Their role in strengthening the U.S. economy, creating jobs in the United States, and extending American influence around the globe is vital to the well-being of our nation.

In the 110th Congress Congresswoman Maloney cofounded the Americans Abroad Caucus, which she now co-chairs with Representatives María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Dina Titus (D-NV). The purpose of this bi-partisan caucus is to provide a forum for discussion of the issues that are important to overseas Americans including citizenship, census, voting, banking access, and taxation.

A full list of current members can be found here.

Select Highlights

• Voting From Abroad: American citizens living abroad have the right to vote in local, state and national elections, but unfortunately they often experience difficulties doing so. Challenges range from learning and meeting the requirements imposed by fifty-five states and territories, to obtaining the mailing addresses and phone numbers to request a ballot, to receiving their ballot before the deadlines have passed. These overseas Americans also have the right to be counted in the decennial census. In her work with the Americans Abroad Caucus, Congresswoman Maloney has advocated on behalf of Americans living abroad to remove barriers that often prevent them from voting in U.S. elections.
• The Overseas Americans Financial Access Act: Americans who live and work abroad are forced to contend with unsustainable tax burdens as an unintended consequence of U.S. law. The Overseas Americans Financial Access Act directs the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to exclude from Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) reporting financial accounts held by American citizens in countries where they are bona fide residents. This bill eliminates the unintended and excessive reporting burden imposed on overseas Americans by FATCA, enabling them to more easily open and maintain private bank accounts with foreign financial institutions (FFIs).
• The Commission on Americans Living Abroad Act: This bill, authored by Congresswoman Maloney, would create a bipartisan executive commission to study the full impact of federal policies and the actions of U.S. agencies on the American community abroad. The commission would study federal financial reporting requirements, the ability to vote in U.S. elections, and access to federal programs like Social Security and Medicare.
• Vaccinations for Americans Abroad: While the majority of Americans 12 and older have received at least their first shot of the coronavirus vaccine, Americans living abroad still face obstacles in accessing these life-saving vaccines. That is why in October of 2021 Representative Maloney led a letter to Secretary of State Blinken asking for the State Department's plans to implement the direct distribution of vaccines to American citizens living abroad or to ensure Americans living abroad can access vaccines from their local governments.

An archive of the Congresswoman's work on behalf of Americans abroad before the 116th Congress can be found here.