Demands the President to submit documents regarding the use of insecure communication platforms for official business and the Administration's adherence to federal record laws.
Stephen Lynch
Representative
MA-8
This resolution requests the President to submit documents to the House of Representatives regarding the use of insecure electronic communication platforms for official business and the Administration's adherence to federal record laws. It seeks information on plans to preserve official communications, particularly those involving national security information, and to prevent the deletion of records on platforms like Signal and WhatsApp. The request covers communications on both government and personal devices and demands unredacted copies of relevant documents within 14 days.
Resolution Seeks White House Records on Signal, WhatsApp Use for Official Business Within 14 Days
This resolution puts the executive branch on notice, formally requesting the President hand over documents to the House of Representatives detailing how official government business is being conducted using various electronic messaging platforms. We're talking everything from Signal and WhatsApp to standard SMS, iMessage, Teams, Slack, and even Gmail. The request specifically targets communications involving sensitive national security information and asks for the administration's game plan for preserving these records according to federal law.
Opening the Books on Digital Chatter
The core of this request centers on transparency and compliance. The resolution demands unredacted copies of documents covering several key areas: how the administration plans to save official messages, details on official conversations happening on government devices via these platforms, and similar communications happening on personal devices if they violate federal law. There's a clear emphasis on messages containing sensitive national security details.
The Record-Keeping Rulebook
Federal records laws aren't new, but applying them to the fast-paced world of encrypted apps and instant messages presents modern challenges. This resolution specifically asks for the administration's strategy to prevent automatic deletion of official communications on platforms like Signal, ensuring these digital conversations are captured and stored as required. It's about making sure there's a paper trail, even when the 'paper' is digital pixels on a screen. The resolution sets a tight deadline, requiring these documents be delivered within 14 days of its adoption.