Pat
McCarran was
the chairman of the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee that investigated
the administrations headed by Franklin
D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman.
In September
1950, McCarran and John Wood, chairman
of the Un-American
Activities Committee, sponsored
the passing of the Internal
Security Act.
The Internal Security Act, also known as the McCarran-Wood Act, required
registration with the Attorney General of the American
Communist Party and affiliated organizations. Other sections of
the act declared it unlawful to conspire to establish a totalitarian
dictatorship, to conceal membership of the American
Communist Party when seeking government employment or to use a
United States passport. Communists and members of other organizations
considered to be dangerous to public safety could also be excluded
or deported from the United States.
President Harry S. Truman opposed the
passing of the Internal Security Act, arguing that it "would
betray our finest traditions" as it attempted to "curb the
simple expression of opinion". Truman went on to argue that the
"stifling of the free expression of opinion is a long step toward
totalitarianism." The Congress overrode Truman's veto by large
margins: House of Representatives (248-48) and the Senate (57-10).
(1)
Harry
S. Truman, veto of the Internal Security Act (22nd
September, 1950)
The idea
of requiring Communist organizations to divulge information about
themselves is a simple and attractive one. But it is about as practical
as requiring thieves to register with the sheriff. Obviously, no such
organization as the Communist Party is likely to register voluntarily.
The basic error of this bill is that it moves in the direction of
suppressing opinion and belief. This would be very dangerous course
to take, not because we have sympathy for Communist opinions, because
any governmental stifling of the free expression of opinion is a long
step toward totalitarianism.
We can and we will prevent espionage, sabotage, or other actions endangering
our national security. But we would betray our finest traditions if
we attempted, as this bill would attempt, to curb
the simple expression of opinion. This we should never do, no matter
how distasteful the opinion may be to the vast majority of our material.
The course proposed by this bill would delight the Communists, for
it would make a mockery of the Bill of Rights and of our claims to
stand for freedom in the world.
(2)
In
her autobiography, Song in
a Weary Throat, Pauli
Murray wrote about her views on the Internal Security
Act.
Under
the Internal Security Act of 1950, which Congress passed over President
Truman's veto, millions of Americans in and out of government were
subjected to loyalty clearance programs, which included intensive
investigations into their lives reaching back to childhood. Mere membership
at some time in the past in an organization listed by the attorney
general as a "Communist front" was significant to cause
one to be discharged from government service as a "bad security
risk". Reputations were destroyed overnight, and professional
people were blacklisted on the basis of rumour, gossip, and other
unsupported charges of subversive activities.
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