Murphy Bill Designed to Bar G.O.P. from Security Briefings

   McCarthyism once again seems to be vogue as censorship, Cancel-Culture, and now political retribution at the hands of the government tarnish our national polity. The most recent example of these wretched phenomena: H.R.353, known by critics as "Murphy's Law." Sponsored by local Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy of Congressional District 7, the bill allegedly ups the protection of U.S. secrets by adding this quesiton to Security Clearances: “Have you ever been a member of, associated with, or knowingly engaged in activities conducted by an organization or movement that spreads conspiracy theories and false information about the United States Government?” This Orwellian sounding language defenestrates Freedom of Expression from the start. Who determines the definition of false information?

   Members of Congress are not required to pass a security check. However, their staff members must do so to view sensitive information. Most Republicans in Congress, and certainly members of their staff, held some skepticism about the results of the 2020 election, with some denouncing their accuracy altogether. The vagueness of the so-called Security Clearance Improvement Act opens the door to denying many lawmakers' staff and future political appointees their Security Clearances along partisan lines. The second question, equally as general and egregious, asks without definition or specificity: "Did you participate in the activities occurring at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, or in any similar activity?" Not only might this broad language include reporters, but even non-rioters on the National Mall.

   Should political views be a disqualifier for a security clearance? We'll leave that for you to decide. The current SF-86 security clearance form does ask about ideology, albeit in terms of foreign agency. Nevertheless, neither partisanship nor ideology tend to impact the clearance process unless related to a foreign government. For example, John Brennan, a previously self-described Communist and former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, passed his security clearance with ease.

   Murphy's bill, in essence, changes this apolitical process and weaponizes the power of the United States government against the Democratic Party's political opponents. Dubbed 'America's Moderate' by some, Murphy recently voted to impeach former President Donald J. Trump for the second time and additionally co-sponsored legislation giving the U.S. Department of Justice the authority to harass companies even indirectly associated with events taking place on January 6, 2021. (See H. R. 334).

   When voters elected Stephanie Murphy, first in 2016 and then twice over, they were making a high stakes bet: a fresh face―positive change―all while keeping a moderate in office. Little did voters realize, they'd been cheated― they started with a 2-7 offsuit and now they've lost their chips. Very soon Reprentative Murphy may also play a hand at disenfranchising the rest of the country. Let's hope 'America's Moderate' finds her way back to sanity, or that voters see through her nonsense in 2022.

  Murphy's office did not issue a statement to The Orlando Local News in respect to either bill.