Department of Homeland Security Clearance Management and Administration Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 424) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to improve the management and administration of the security clearance processes throughout the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows H.R. 424

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Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 424, the Department of Homeland Security Clearance Management and Administration Act.

Mr. Speaker, before I begin, let me say I am pleased that we have reached the end of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. I am grateful to the women and men of DHS and their families for their professionalism during this difficult month. We should all recognize that they continue to serve our country every day by keeping our citizens safe.

Mr. Speaker, I have reintroduced H.R. 424, the Department of Homeland Security Clearance Management and Administration Act, to reform how the department manages its security clearance processes. It is no secret that the security clearance process is in dire need of change.

Since September 11, there has been massive growth in the amount of classified material across the Federal Government. In many cases, material is over-classified where it is kept at a higher classification level or at a higher classification level for longer than needed. The explosion in the number of Federal positions requiring security clearances has driven an enormous backlog in security clearance background investigations.

As of last Congress, the average waiting period for an initial background check for a top-secret clearance was 390 days--more than a year. The average waiting period for a reinvestigation of an individual holding a top-secret clearance was 518 days--nearly 1\1/2\ years.

The delays caused by this enormous backlog represent very real barriers to employment and promotion within government. Many individuals with clearances do not actually need clearances to do their jobs. According to a 2014 report by the Office of Management and Budget, 40 percent of all individuals with clearances did not even have access to classified information as part of their work.

Misclassification of national security positions is not only wasteful of government resources but creates needless barriers to entry and advancement. Clearly, the clearance system is in desperate need of significant reform.

H.R. 424 would help put DHS on a path to rightsizing its ranks by ensuring that national security positions are properly designated.

H.R. 424 would also require DHS to conform, from time to time, that its security designations are still appropriate. This would ensure that the department is not needlessly limiting the applicant pool for positions that do not require access to classified information.

While the executive branch is exploring ways to improve the way in which positions are designated for clearances, H.R. 424 would allow DHS to become a leader in modernizing and streamlining this system.

Finally, H.R. 424 would require DHS to keep applicants' and employees' personal information safe from data breaches.

Taken together, these reforms represent progress toward fixing the broken clearance system. It will save DHS money, time, and other resources by streamlining the clearance and designation systems.

Fundamentally, enactment of H.R. 424 would begin to break down barriers to employment and promotion that prevent Federal employees from advancing in their careers.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H.R. 424, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 424, which passed by voice vote in the last Congress, will help improve critical aspects of DHS' security clearance process.

The truth is that not every position requires a clearance, not every document needs to be classified. Our intelligence and law enforcement officials should focus their limited time and resources on protecting materials that are truly sensitive. Access to those materials should be granted carefully and appropriately to individuals who actually need to handle those materials.

Enactment of H.R. 424 would not only make DHS a leader in this space, but it would help break down barriers to employment and growth within the Department. Mr. Speaker, I ask for my colleagues' support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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