GOP leadership on Capitol Hill mulling over novel approaches to control classified data
Revised Article
Here's the lowdown on the hot button issue brewing in the House of Representatives. The GOP leadership is feathering plans to curb the classified info that all lawmakers can handle, following indications from the White House that it'll limit the intel sharing with Congress going forward.
Democrats are sounding alarm bells about this move, warning it could jeopardize their ability to perform their duties. Even some Republicans are voicing opposition to further restrictions.
The chatter at the House leadership level has focused primarily on who eligible to access the most sensitive intel. According to lawmakers privy to these discussions, they've been hashing out ideas on who should receive the top-secret scoop.
The Trump administration intends to restrict intel sharing with Congress, as a senior White House official disclosed to CNN on June 30th. This decision appears to be a response to CNN's reporting, which revealed that, according to an assessment from early 2025, the U.S. military strikes on three of Iran's nuclear facilities did not totally obliterate the core components of Iran's nuclear program, but only put it back by a few months.
When asked about his plans for tightening the reins on intel, House Speaker Mike Johnson told CNN, "We’re looking into that. It's a real problem." Johnson declined to rule out axing intel briefings for the entire House, which lawmakers, including those from both the House and Senate, received last week on Iran, as a possible option.
Johnson underscored the risks posed by this issue, saying, "So, it's unfortunate. It effects how the institution works, and that's a problem – we got to address it."
Chair of the House Homeland Security Committee Mark Green confirmed to CNN that "there's a debate" among House GOP leadership about how to enforce new restrictions.
One of the proposals on the table involves limiting classified info to just the key committee chairs and the "Gang of Eight," which consists of the congressional leaders from each party and the top Republican and Democrat on the House and Senate intelligence committees.
Intelligence Committee Chair Rick Crawford shared with CNN that he's taking "proactive steps" to manage classified info circulating on Capitol Hill without offering specifics.
When it comes to potential restrictions, one anonymous Republican lawmaker expressed resistance, stating, "I would personally resist loudly if my access was limited."
Manipulating the sharing of classified information with Congress will impact rank-and-file lawmakers who don't sit on committees with jurisdiction, leaving the majority of Congress potentially in the dark on crucial national security issues unless explicitly informed.
The White House declined to discuss how it plans to restrict the intel it shares with Congress or how it would react to lawmakers vying to maintain their oversight duties necessitating intel access.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a briefing, "This administration wants to ensure that classified intelligence is not ending up in irresponsible hands, and that people who have the privilege of viewing this top-secret classified information are being responsible with it."
CIA Director John Ratcliffe indicated that Iran's nuclear program suffered significant damage from the US strikes and that "several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years."
While the exact judgment call about how to interpret the intel remains up for debate among intelligence agencies, the analysis of the damage to the sites and the impact on Iran's nuclear ambitions is ongoing, and could change as more intel becomes available.
Democrats have blasted the leak, but warned Republicans against taking any measures to restrict classified information.
The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Jim Himes, stated in a release to CNN that it's "unacceptable for the administration to use unsubstantiated speculation about the source of a leak to justify cutting off Congress from classified intel reporting, particularly when over a million people within the Executive Branch have clearance to access classified top-secret reporting."
Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, also emphasized the importance of intel, saying, "If you don't have information, then you are moving against a democratic process, and you're constraining government—government is not operable if you don't have the information you need to vote."
The dynamic now has GOP lawmakers grappling with the precedent they want to establish going forward and how comfortable they are with the possibility of taking themselves out of the information sharing game under a future Democratic presidency.
Meanwhile, a heated debate is unfolding in Washington regarding whether limiting info sharing to lawmakers is justified due to concerns of security breaches or unfit actors, or if it poses an unnecessary risk to democratic processes and critical informed decision making.
Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.
- The ongoing debate in Washington centers around policy-and-legislation and general-news, as the GOP leadership is considering restricting the classified info available for lawmakers, raising concerns from Democrats about the implications for their duties.
- The discussion over classified information sharing includes arguments from both sides of the aisle, with some Republicans voicing opposition to further restrictions, while others are proposing limiting access to key committees and the 'Gang of Eight'.
