Staff Reports
Rep. Kat Cammack is pushing the House to stop and then fix what she calls the “culture of creepiness” on Capitol Hill. This week she again demanded an immediate vote on H.Res.500, her plan to force criminal background checks and public disclosure of foreign ties for congressional staff. She says it is a small, cheap step that would close security holes and protect staff — and she’s not shy about calling out the excuses that have stalled it.
The bill and the plain truth about risk
H.Res.500 would amend House rules to require criminal background checks for House employees and require disclosure of certain foreign ties and dual citizenship. Rep. Cammack points out that roughly 12,000 people work for members and leadership, and she says the checks would cost about $9 million — roughly $750 per staffer. That is a rounding error for the federal government and a bargain for national security, yet the resolution sits in the House Rules Committee instead of on the floor.
National security meets workplace safety
Cammack frames the plan as both a national-security fix and a way to improve staff safety. She has said, “I think background checks should be mandated for congressional staff… you have to have a background check to work at a gas station, to work at a grocery store, to volunteer at your church.” With the House Ethics Committee noting 20 investigations into member misconduct since 2017, and with recent resignations and inquiries making headlines, her push ties routine vetting to stopping foreign influence and stopping predators.
Excuses, committee roadblocks, and the politics
Her office reports shifting reasons why the measure hasn’t moved: not enough cosponsors, logistical worries about running checks, or claims that disclosures can’t be published. Translation: politics and process are winning where national security and decency should. The real gatekeeper is the Rules Committee and House leadership. If Speaker Johnson or the Rules Committee want this on the floor, they can make it happen. If they don’t, they should explain why $9 million is too much to pay to reduce risk and restore trust.
What Congress should do next
Start with a vote. Send H.Res.500 out of the Rules Committee and let every member publicly support or oppose background checks and foreign-ties disclosure. Ask the House Clerk or Office of Congressional Workplace Rights to publish exact costs and an implementation plan. Ask the Ethics Committee if checks would aid investigations. If members truly care about national security and staff safety, they’ll quit the excuses and vote. If not, they’ll at least be honest about preferring secrecy to accountability — and voters will remember that when staff safety and the nation’s security are on the line.
