U.S. Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy of Winter Park, Fla., today introduced a bill to protect U.S. national security by safeguarding classified information. The Prevention and Oversight of Intelligence Sharing with Enemies (POISE) Act would require the president to promptly notify the House and Senate congressional intelligence committees when any U.S. executive branch official, including the president himself, intentionally or inadvertently discloses Top Secret information to government officials of nations that sponsor terrorism or, like Russia, are subject to U.S. economic sanctions.
“As a former national security specialist in the Pentagon, I’ve seen the damage our adversaries can inflict when they gain access to our classified information,” said Rep. Murphy, who also serves on the House Armed Services Committee. “When U.S. intelligence falls into the wrong hands, it puts our service members, intelligence operatives, and diplomats at risk and undermines our national security interests around the world. Additionally, our allies are unlikely to share highly-sensitive intelligence if they lose confidence in our ability to protect such information.My bill will enable Congress to assess any damage, conduct appropriate oversight, and keep our country safe whenever classified information is intentionally or inadvertently disclosed.”
During her time in Congress, Rep. Murphy has made national security one of her top priorities. One of her bills, the Protect the National Security Council from Political Interference Act, gained 183 cosponsors and helped generated a groundswell of public support for Steve Bannon’s removal from the National Security Council. Rep. Murphy also introduced a bill that would provide policymakers with the best possible intelligence about the threat posed by North Korea, as well as a bill that would create a defense commission composed of U.S. security officials and officials from our partner nations in the Asia-Pacific region to promote security and stability in the region. More information about these bills may be found at StephanieMurphy.house.gov.
To watch Congresswoman Murphy’s House floor speech explaining the POISE Act, click here.
