Congress has introduced a bill that would grant State Secretary Marco Rubio the power to revoke passports of US citizens over political speech, including those who oppose Israel.
The bill, introduced by Congressman Brian Mast, will come up for a hearing on September 17th and is part of a broader State Department reorganization.
One section would allow the State Secretary to deny or revoke passports for people convicted, or even just charged with providing material support for terrorism.
Another provision would let the Secretary block passports for those he determines have aided a group already designated as a foreign terrorist organization.
The legislation includes a provision for citizens to appeal within 60 days, but only to the State Secretary.
The bill has come under heavy criticism from civil liberties advocates who claim the bill risks “criminalizing political expression.”
