I remember thinking a long while ago that the whole "clipper chip" thing was going to be the end of this debate. I'm completely astonished by how this just continues to play out, over and over.
It doesn't seem so astonishing when you recognize the inordinate leverage the oligarchy has in controlling the government and framing the "public debate".
"The oligarchy" who you never identify would include the owners and shareholders of businesses who would suffer catastrophic business losses in the event an encryption-defeating law were passed.
Various billionaires are adversarial with respect to the laws they support and the media narratives their companies push (e.g. Washington Post vs Fox News). They don't act in concert.