Representative Jackie Speier (D., Calif.) is calling on the federal government and Department of Defense to screen the social media accounts of U.S. service members and other “individuals with sensitive roles” for connections to white supremacist and far-right groups.
Speier, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, wrote a letter to President Biden, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and DNI Avril Haines urging the federal government to do more to keep far-right views and white supremacist sympathizers from serving in the armed forces and other areas of governments, according to Politico.
“Perhaps most importantly, DoD and the U.S. Government at large are not effectively screening servicemembers and other individuals with sensitive roles for white-supremacist and violent-extremist ties,” she wrote.
“This gap is inexcusable,” she continued. “Social media is not viewed during the military’s accessions process or even as part of the background investigations process for security clearances.”
