{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.budd.senate.gov/2026/01/15/budd-shaheen-lead-bipartisan-bill-to-protect-the-identity-of-special-operations-forces-executing-dangerous-u-s-military-operations/", "Budd, Shaheen Lead Bipartisan Bill to Protect the Identity of Special Operations Forces Executing Dangerous U.S. Military Operations", "2026-01-15", "2026", "2026-01", "Republican", "Senate", "NC", "Ted Budd", "B001305", "www.budd.senate.gov", "budd", "https://www.budd.senate.gov/category/news/press-releases/page/", "scraper", "Reps. Hudson & Harrigan will lead effort in House of Representatives\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senators Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Special Operator Protection Act today, to protect the identity of Special Operations Forces (SOF), federal law enforcement officers attached to SOF, and other Department of Defense (DOD) personnel who conduct highly sensitive DOD missions, by creating a criminal penalty for doxing their personally identifiable information. U.S. Representatives Richard Hudson (R-N.C.-09) and Pat Harrigan (R-N.C.-10) introduced the companion legislation in the House of Representatives.\n\n\u201cAs recent events underscore, our SOF operators put themselves in extreme danger in service to our nation. These heroes should not fear for their personal safety or their families\u2019 security after they return home from sensitive missions. There is no compelling reason for their identities to be made public, especially given the significant risks from foreign threats. I\u2019m proud to work with Senator Shaheen as well as Representatives Hudson and Harrigan to introduce the Special Operator Protection Act to set reasonable criminal penalties for doxing America\u2019s most elite servicemembers, and to protect them and their loved ones from harassment and harm at home,\u201d said Senator Budd.\n\n\u201cSpecial operators lead our military\u2019s highest-risk missions. With an increasingly complex array of global threats, they should be protected from foreign adversaries who seek to harm them. This bipartisan bill would help shield those who put their lives on the line to advance America\u2019s national security,\u201d said Senator Shaheen.\n\n\u201cAs Fort Bragg\u2019s congressman, I know our Special Operations Forces take on the most dangerous missions in defense of this country, and they shouldn\u2019t have to worry about their own or their families\u2019 safety when they return home. The Special Operator Protection Act closes a clear gap in the law and makes one thing clear: if you recklessly expose our nation\u2019s heroes, there will be consequences,\u201d said Representative Hudson.\n\n\u201cI served as a Special Operations servicemember, and I don\u2019t care what your politics are, or whether you agreed with the Venezuela operation that led to the capture of Nicol\u00e1s Maduro or not. When someone puts the name or image of a Special Operator out in public, that follows them home. It follows their family. It creates real risk long after the mission is over. I\u2019ve lived that reality, and I\u2019ve seen what exposure like that can do. That\u2019s why I\u2019m proud to co-lead the Special Operator Protection Act in the House. It closes a real hole in the law and makes sure our Special Operations Forces aren\u2019t left exposed after carrying out some of the most dangerous missions this country asks anyone to do,\u201d said Representative Harrigan.\n\nRead the full bill text HERE.\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nFollowing the capture of Nicol\u00e1s Maduro and Cilia Flores by U.S. SOF operators in Venezuela earlier this month, there were attempts to publicly identify special operators and tie them to the mission, putting their safety and that of their families at risk.\n\nThe Special Operator Protection Act would:\n\nEstablish criminal penalties for doxing Special Operators, other DOD personnel that conduct sensitive DOD missions, and federal law enforcement officers that support SOF, as well as their immediate family members.\n\nProhibits the public release of personally identifiable information, including the individual\u2019s name in connection with one\u2019s place of employment, one\u2019s face or likeness in connection with one\u2019s name and place of employment, and visual representation of a residence in connection with one\u2019s name and place of employment, birth date, Social Security number, home phone number, mobile phone number, personal email, home fax number, and biometric data.\n\nImposes enhanced penalties where the release of this personally identifiable information results in death or serious bodily injury.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T15:05:35Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.budd.senate.gov/2026/01/15/budd-shaheen-lead-bipartisan-bill-to-protect-the-identity-of-special-operations-forces-executing-dangerous-u-s-military-operations/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0309850331395864, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}