U.S. Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy of Winter Park, Fla., today introduced legislation to protect the National Security Council (NSC) from political interference and to ensure that the president is receiving counsel from national security experts without the dangerous influence of partisan politics. Murphy’s bill is in response to the president’s recent national security directive on NSC structure that permanently added his chief political strategist to the council and downgraded the roles of the Director of National Intelligence and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“The security of the American people should be more important than partisan politics,” said Murphy. "As a former national security specialist at the Department of Defense and a current member of the House Armed Services Committee, I can tell you the last place partisan politics belongs is in national security. It is reasonable and commonplace for presidents to decide who attends security meetings, but I strongly believe the Director of National Intelligence and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff should have a standing invitation to attend all Principals Committee meetings given their importance to national security and expertise. My bill will help depoliticize national security so that we never jeopardize the safety and security of the American people.”

Murphy’s bill will have two provisions:

(1) To ensure that no individual whose “primary responsibility is political in nature” is assigned to the council or authorized to attend NSC meetings; and,

(2) To express the view of Congress that the Director of National Intelligence or the Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff should have a standing invitation to attend Principal Committee meetings.



Earlier today, Murphy introduced the bill on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives and delivered remarks urging her colleagues for their support. As of Wednesday afternoon, her bill has earned 50 cosponsors.

View Congresswoman's House floor speech here