Department of Homeland Security Clearance Management and Administration Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3505, the Department of Homeland Security Clearance Management and Administration Act.

Mr. Speaker, I want to start off by thanking the chairman of the Counterterrorism and Intelligence Subcommittee, Mr. King, as well as Chairman McCaul, for their support of my bill.

I introduced H.R. 3505, the Department of Homeland Security Clearance Management and Administration Act, to make specific reforms in how the Department manages its security clearance process. Specifically, H.R. 3505 addresses how DHS carries out the complex and extensive tasks of identifying positions that warrant security clearances, investigating candidates for clearances, and administering its clearance adjudications, denials, suspensions, revocations, and appeals process.

Since September 11, there has been a massive proliferation of original and derivative classified materials across the Federal Government. Along with the enormous growth of classified material holdings has come a sizeable growth in the number of Federal positions requiring security clearances.

H.R. 3505 reflects recent regulations issued by the Office of Personnel Management and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to help ensure that Federal agencies make correct designations for national security positions and, in turn, avoid the costly exercise of recruiting, investigating, and hiring an individual at a clearance level and salary well above what is necessary.

H.R. 3505 seeks to put DHS on a path of right-sizing the position designations for its workforce. Specifically, my bill directs the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that the sensitivity levels of national security positions are designated appropriately across the Department and its components.

It also requires the Department's Chief Security Officer to audit national security positions periodically to ensure that such security designations are still appropriate.

Additionally, the bill requires the Department to develop a plan to ensure that adjudications of eligibility for a security clearance are done accurately across the Department.

Lastly, in response to the growing security threat from data breaches, this act also provides safeguards for the protection of the applicant's personal information.

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, my bill seeks to take targeted steps at improving critical aspects of how the Department of Homeland Security administers its security clearance program.

If enacted, H.R. 3505 would make DHS a leader among Federal agencies with respect to security clearance and position designation practices. I ask for my colleagues' support.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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