H.R. 4205 – Drain the Intelligence Community Swamp Act of 2023

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 9:09 AM UTC

The Drain the Intelligence Community Swamp Act of 2023 directs the government to cancel the security clearances of a specific list of former intelligence officials who signed a 2020 public statement about the Hunter Biden emails. The revocations must occur within 24 hours of the law taking effect, and those individuals are barred from receiving new or renewed clearances. The bill also orders investigations into their possible involvement in the Hunter Biden laptop matter and any ties to the Biden campaign.

Key Provisions

Security clearances of the named former intelligence officials are revoked within 24 hours of enactment, and they cannot receive new or renewed clearances.
The Secretary of Defense and the Attorney General must investigate each listed individual’s role in the Hunter Biden laptop scandal and any engagement with the Biden presidential campaign.
The list of 51 individuals is explicitly named in the legislation, targeting those who signed the October 19, 2020 public statement on the Hunter Biden emails.

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

2 earlier actions

HouseFloor Latest Action

ASSUMING FIRST SPONSORSHIP - Mr. Biggs asked unanimous consent that he may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 4205, a bill originally introduced by Representative Santos, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII. Agreed to without objection.

June 12, 2024 • 11:24 AM

View full timeline

HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

June 20, 2023

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Oversight and Government Reform Committee

June 20, 2023

HouseFloor

ASSUMING FIRST SPONSORSHIP - Mr. Biggs asked unanimous consent that he may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 4205, a bill originally introduced by Representative Santos, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII. Agreed to without objection.

June 12, 2024 • 11:24 AM

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 4205 on the floor

1 Republican

Rep. Andy BiggsR-AZ-5 · Jun 12, 2024

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered to be the primary sponsor of H.R. 4205, a bill originally introduced by Representative Santos of New York, for the purpose of…

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

Reading Mode

Raw Text PDF XML

Introduced in HouseIssued June 20, 2023

I

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 4205

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 20, 2023

Mr. Santos introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To revoke the security clearances of certain former members of the intelligence community, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Drain the Intelligence Community Swamp Act of 2023.

2.

Revocation of security clearances

(a)

In general

Not later than 24 hours after the date of enactment of this Act, the security clearance of any individual listed in subsection (c), signatories of the statement titled Public Statement on the Hunter Biden Emails dated October 19, 2020, are hereby revoked, and no security clearance may be granted or renewed for any such individual.

(b)

Investigations

The Secretary of Defense and the Attorney General shall investigate such individuals and their role in the Hunter Biden laptop scandal and level of engagement with the Biden Presidential campaign.

(c)

Individuals listed

The individuals listed in this subsection are the following:

(1)

Jim Clapper.

(2)

Mike Hayden.

(3)

Leon Panetta.

(4)

John Brennan.

(5)

Thomas Finger.

(6)

Rick Ledgett.

(7)

John McLaughlin.

(8)

Michael Morell.

(9)

Mike Vickers.

(10)

Doug Wise.

(11)

Nick Rasmussen.

(12)

Russ Travers.

(13)

Andy Liepman.

(14)

John Moseman.

(15)

Larry Pfeiffer.

(16)

Jeremy Bash.

(17)

Rodney Snyder.

(18)

Glenn Gerstell.

(19)

David B. Buckley.

(20)

Nada Bakos.

(21)

Patty Brandmaier.

(22)

James B. Bruce.

(23)

David Cariens.

(24)

Janice Cariens.

(25)

Paul Kolbe.

(26)

Peter Corsell.

(27)

Brett Davis.

(28)

Roger Zane George.

(29)

Steven L. Hall.

(30)

Kent Harrington.

(31)

Don Hepburn.

(32)

Timothy D. Kilbourn.

(33)

Ron Marks.

(34)

Jonna Hiestand Mendez.

(35)

Emile Nakhleh.

(36)

Gerald A. O’Shea.

(37)

David Priess.

(38)

Pam Purcilly.

(39)

Marc Polymeropoulos.

(40)

Chris Savos.

(41)

Nick Shapiro.

(42)

John Sipher.

(43)

Stephen Slick.

(44)

Cynthia Strand.

(45)

Greg Tarbell.

(46)

David Terry.

(47)

Greg Treverton.

(48)

John Tullius.

(49)

David A. Vanell.

(50)

Winston Wiley.

(51)

Kristin Wood.