Congresswoman Pushes Background Check Bill
A proposal to mandate background checks for congressional staffers is encountering resistance from both major parties, according to Florida Republican Rep. Kat Cammack.
The third-term lawmaker discussed her resolution in a recent interview with The Daily Wire, highlighting what she describes as an urgent need for transparency and national security within congressional offices.
Cammack’s resolution would require the U.S. Capitol Police to conduct background checks on all congressional employees within 30 days of their hiring or the start of a new Congress. Only the head of the employing office would receive the results.
Additionally, staffers would be required to disclose any foreign citizenship or payments received from foreign governments over the previous three years. These rules would take effect immediately for the current 119th Congress.
Despite the measure’s focus on national security, Cammack reports significant bipartisan pushback. “You would not believe the resistance that we’re getting,” she told The Daily Wire. The congresswoman argued that the opposition underscores the importance of her proposal. “Why would you not want to know who is working in your office?” she asked.
At present, background checks for House staffers are not mandatory unless a security clearance is required. Cammack, who already implements background checks within her own office, sees this as a critical gap in congressional oversight.
She pointed to known instances of foreign infiltration, including individuals tied to the Chinese Communist Party and the Muslim Brotherhood, the latter of which some Republican senators are seeking to classify as a terrorist organization. “It is absolutely remarkable the amount of foreign interference and influence that is in the halls of Congress today,” Cammack said.
The resolution would not bar the hiring of individuals with prior offenses or foreign connections, but it would compel disclosure. Cammack emphasized that the decision to hire such individuals would still rest with lawmakers, but transparency is essential. “You should know, and the American people should know,” she stated.
The resolution’s future remains uncertain amid bipartisan reluctance, but Cammack maintains that the proposal is a necessary step toward securing legislative operations against foreign and potentially hostile influence.