This week, Representative Rich McCormick (R-GA) introduced House Resolution 10501, also known as the Communist Control Act of 2026, to amend the Communist Control Act of 1954 and apply its provisions to the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
What is the aim of the Communist Control Act of 2026? This critical piece of legislation would treat the DSA in the same manner as the Communist Party of the United States under the Communist Control Act of 1954.
The bill specifically adds the DSA and its successor organizations to the provisions of the existing law.
Why target the Democratic Socialists of America? The organization’s current platform calls for drafting a new constitution and creating what it describes as a “democratic socialist republic.”
The platform also proposes abolishing the Senate and replacing the independently elected presidency and existing Supreme Court structure with institutions selected by and subordinate to Congress.
What Rep. Rich McCormick had to say:
- “The Democratic Socialists of America have told us exactly what it wants to do, and we should believe them. They want to rewrite our Constitution and fundamentally restructure the government of the United States. America has confronted this ideology before. We cannot sit back and watch it gain a foothold in our institutions. The Communist Control Act of 2026 makes clear that we will defend our Constitution, our freedoms, and the system of government that has made America the greatest and best country in the world.”
Further Context: This new bill comes amidst the rise of DSA candidates and elected officials like New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Senatorial Candidate from Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed.
Congress passed the original Communist Control Act in 1954 amid concerns about the Communist Party of the United States and its activities during the Cold War.
The law declared that the Communist Party should be outlawed and denied the party and qualifying successor organizations certain legal rights, privileges, and immunities.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill into law at the height of the Second Red Scare and is considered one of the most drastic anti-communist pieces of legislation.
