The McCarran Act

The Internal Security Act of 1950 (McCarran Act) was vetoed by President Truman on the grounds that it would "make a mockery of our Bill of Rights" and "actually weaken our internal security measures."  But Congress overrode his veto by a stunning 89 percent majority.  The Act ordered all members of the Communist Party and "Communist front" organizations to register as such.  Since the Act also stated that Communists had repudiated their allegiance to the United States , registration made them legally traitors.  Members of registered groups could not become citizens and members who were naturalized citizens could be stripped of their citizenship.  After the Supreme Court struck down registration in its 1965 ruling in Albertson v. Subversive Activities Control Board, Congress began to repeal portions of the Act.