Department of Homeland Security Clearance Management and Administration Act

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.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

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.

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.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

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

President Trump has directed a major security clearance and background information overhaul across the executive branch. This effort is underway, and significant progress has been made to reduce the backlog and improve the quality of background investigations. The bill we are considering today complements this initiative.

H.R. 424 requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct an inventory of the department's positions that require security clearances, which currently number over 100,000, and determine what positions may be duplicative or are no longer necessary. It is just good government to periodically review the positions that require a ``need to know'' and to ensure DHS is not allocating funds for unnecessary background investigations. Security clearances are costly to investigate, adjudicate, and maintain.

The bill would ensure that DHS conducts a thorough accounting of its workforce needs and reduces the number of positions with security clearances if determined appropriate. The bill would also require additional transparency on how security clearances are adjudicated, including when there are reasons to suspend or deny a security clearance.

Chairman Thompson's legislation is an example of the accounting that each Federal department should be conducting today and would lead to a leaner and more secure Department of Homeland Security.

Mr. Speaker, the bill is identical to the version the House passed last Congress, and I would just reiterate this is good government, bipartisan legislation. I urge its support, and I yield back the balance of my time.