Changes

McCarthy's support and popularity peaked in early 1954. CBS broadcast a TV documentary attacking McCarthy.  A special Senate committee was appointed to study and evaluate McCarthy's methods and actions. The committee exonerated McCarthy on all substantive charges.<ref>44 of the 46 charges were dropped. [http://www.xmission.com/~nccs/newsletter/nov05nl.html]</ref> Following the recommendations of this committee, the full Senate voted to censure Senator McCarthy by a vote of 65 to 22 (the votes for censure included all the Democratic senators and about half the Republican senators) for failing to cooperate with the subcommittee that was investigating him, and for insults to the committee that was trying to censure him <ref>Senate Report 104-137 - Resolution For Disciplinary Action. Library of Congress (1995). Retrieved on 2006-10-19.</ref>, making him one of the few senators ever to be disciplined in this fashion. <ref>[http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/democrac/60.htm]</ref>. His power and clout to continue the search for Communists in positions of power in America was extremely curtailed.  McCarthy died of acute hepatitis in Bethesda Naval Hospital on May 2, 1957, at the age of 48. Friends assert that McCarthy had a history of alcohol abuse, a disease which may have led to his Hepatitis and physical decline.{{Fact|date=June 2007}}

McCarthy's support and popularity peaked in early 1954. CBS broadcast a TV documentary attacking McCarthy.  A special Senate committee was appointed to study and evaluate McCarthy's methods and actions. The committee exonerated McCarthy on all substantive charges.<ref>44 of the 46 charges were dropped. [http://www.xmission.com/~nccs/newsletter/nov05nl.html]</ref> Following the recommendations of this committee, the full Senate voted to censure Senator McCarthy by a vote of 65 to 22 (the votes for censure included all the Democratic senators and about half the Republican senators) for failing to cooperate with the subcommittee that was investigating him, and for insults to the committee that was trying to censure him <ref>Senate Report 104-137 - Resolution For Disciplinary Action. Library of Congress (1995). Retrieved on 2006-10-19.</ref>, making him one of the few senators ever to be disciplined in this fashion. <ref>[http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/democrac/60.htm]</ref>. His power and clout to continue the search for Communists in positions of power in America was extremely curtailed.  McCarthy died of acute hepatitis in Bethesda Naval Hospital on May 2, 1957, at the age of 48. Friends assert that McCarthy had a history of alcohol abuse, a disease which may have led to his Hepatitis and physical decline.{{Fact|date=June 2007}}

==VENONA files ==

===VENONA files===

In 1995, when the VENONA transcripts were declassified, further detailed information was revealed about Soviet espionage in the United States. It is generally believed that McCarthy had no access to VENONA intelligence, and VENONA corroborates some of the individuals investigated by McCarthy were indeed Soviet agents.  VENONA specifically references at least 349 people in the United States&mdash;including citizens, immigrants, and permanent residents&mdash;who cooperated in various ways with Soviet intelligence agencies. 83 persons plead the fifth amendment right against self incrimination in public hearings conducted by McCarthy. An additional 9 persons refused to testify on constitutional grounds in private hearings, and their names were not made public. <ref>[http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Senate/1777/mccarth3.htm , ''The Real McCarthy Record''], VI., p.3</ref>  Of the 83 persons pleading the fifth ammendment, several have been identified by [[NSA]] and [[FBI]] as agents of the Soviet Union in the [[Venona project]] involved in espionage. These are several prominent examples:

In 1995, when the VENONA transcripts were declassified, further detailed information was revealed about Soviet espionage in the United States. It is generally believed that McCarthy had no access to VENONA intelligence, and VENONA corroborates some of the individuals investigated by McCarthy were indeed Soviet agents.  VENONA specifically references at least 349 people in the United States&mdash;including citizens, immigrants, and permanent residents&mdash;who cooperated in various ways with Soviet intelligence agencies. 83 persons plead the fifth amendment right against self incrimination in public hearings conducted by McCarthy. An additional 9 persons refused to testify on constitutional grounds in private hearings, and their names were not made public. <ref>[http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Senate/1777/mccarth3.htm , ''The Real McCarthy Record''], VI., p.3</ref>  Of the 83 persons pleading the fifth ammendment, several have been identified by [[NSA]] and [[FBI]] as agents of the Soviet Union in the [[Venona project]] involved in espionage. These are several prominent examples: