I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1248 
To amend the National Security Act of 1947 to prohibit individuals who 
threaten to destroy the Government from participating in or attending 
meetings of the National Security Council, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 28, 2017 
Mr. ESPAILLAT (for himself, Ms. LEE, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, and Mr. 
RASKIN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign 
Affairs, Intelligence (Permanent Select), and Oversight and Government 
Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the National Security Act of 1947 to prohibit 
individuals who threaten to destroy the Government from 
participating in or attending meetings of the National 
Security Council, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Make Our Government 
Safe Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) Steve Bannon was appointed to serve as 
chief strategist and senior counselor to the President 
in January 2017 and was appointed, via executive 
order, to the National Security Council on January 
28, 2017. 
(2) Under section 101 of the National Security 
Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3021), the National Security 
Council is responsible for the integration of domes-
tic, foreign, and military policies relating to the na-
tional security so as to enable the military services 
and the other departments and agencies of the Gov-
ernment to cooperate more effectively in matters in-
volving the national security. 
(3) To participate in highly sensitive meetings 
of the National Security Council, it is a prerequisite 
to have the highest available security clearances, in-
cluding access to compartmented information. 
(4) Question 23.9 on United States Government 
Standard Form 86, which all applicants seeking a 
security clearance must submit, asks: ‘‘have you ever 
advocated any acts of terrorism or activities de-
signed to overthrow the U.S. Government by force?’’ 
(5) Question 29.4 asks: ‘‘have you ever been a 
member of an organization dedicated to the use of 
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violence or force to overthrow the United States 
Government . . .’’ 
(6) Question 29.6 asks: ‘‘have you ever know-
ingly engaged in activities designed to overthrow the 
United States Government by force?’’ 
(7) Steve Bannon has made numerous inflam-
matory statements in support of overthrowing the 
United States Government. 
(8) In an interview dated August 22, 2016, 
Bannon referred to himself as a ‘‘Leninist’’, saying 
‘‘Lenin . . . wanted to destroy the state, and that’s 
my goal too. I want to bring everything crashing 
down, and destroy all of today’s establishment’’. 
(9) The Director of the National Background 
Investigations Bureau, Charles Phalen, Jr., testified 
before the Committee on Oversight and Government 
Reform of the House of Representatives on Feb-
ruary 2, 2017, about the process to investigate ap-
plicants for security clearances. 
(10) In response to questions from Ranking 
Member Elijah E. Cummings, Director Phalen 
agreed that calling oneself a Leninist would cause 
concerns during the background check process for a 
security clearance, saying ‘‘It would, and the investi-
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gator should pursue that avenue of discussion with 
the subject as to what that means.’’. 
(11) In response to a specific question about 
someone whose goal was to ‘‘destroy the state,’’ Di-
rector Phalen responded ‘‘That would elicit a very 
strong line of questioning with that individual and 
with others to determine what he means by that so 
that we can give a full picture to the adjudicator.’’. 
(12) When asked what would happen if Bannon 
denied making these statements, Director Phalen re-
sponded that background check investigators would 
‘‘determine what the truth is’’. 
SEC. 3. PROHIBITION OF INDIVIDUALS WHO THREATEN TO 
DESTROY THE GOVERNMENT FROM PARTICI-
PATING IN OR ATTENDING NATIONAL SECU-
RITY COUNCIL MEETINGS. 
(a) PROHIBITION.—Section 101(c) of the National 
Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3021(c)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘The Presi-
dent’’ and inserting ‘‘Except as provided in para-
graph (3), the President’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(3) INDIVIDUALS
WHO
THREATEN
TO
DE-
STROY
THE
GOVERNMENT.—Any individual who 
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threatens to destroy the Government, including in 
speech, written form, or through action, may not 
participate in or attend any meeting of the Council 
or any meeting of the Principal’s Committee.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Paragraph (3) of subsection 
(c) of section 101 of the National Security Act of 1947 
(50 U.S.C. 3021) shall take effect on the date that is 30 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING THE SUSPEN-
SION OF SECURITY CLEARANCES FOR FED-
ERAL EMPLOYEES WHO THREATEN TO DE-
STROY THE STATE. 
It is the sense of Congress that the head of a depart-
ment or agency of the Federal Government that issues a 
security clearance for an employee, including for an em-
ployee of the Executive Office of the President, should 
consider suspending the security clearance of the em-
ployee, if the employee threatens or has threatened to de-
stroy the State or to take hostile actions against the 
United States, to ensure such employee does not pose a 
threat to the United States. 
Æ 
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