New background law critical

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill

While sponsoring legislation to strengthen security clearance background checks, this is where I stand on the creation of a new Federal Background Investigations Bureau:

“At first glance, these changes sound promising. But the stakes of getting this right couldn’t be higher, so this transition will have to be airtight if Americans are to be confident in the security of the nation’s secrets and federal facilities. And I’ll be continuing my efforts to get our bipartisan plan to further strengthen this system across the finish line.”

The new agency will be responsible for background checks and security clearance investigations across the government. It will absorb the current operations of the Federal Investigative Service and will have a new presidential appointee to lead it.

The Pentagon will now be taking the lead on developing, maintaining, and securing all the background investigation data.

Bipartisan legislation I have sponsored to overhaul the nation’s security clearance process cleared a key Senate hurdle when it was approved in July by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence as a part of the annualIntelligence Authorization Act.

The Enhanced Security Clearance Act, which is also supported by Senators Susan Collins of Maine, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, would implement automated random reviews of public records and databases for any information that might affect the security clearance status of individuals with clearances.

The bipartisan bill — an effort which began after security leaks from contractor Edward Snowden and the tragic shooting at the Washington Navy Yard illustrated systemic problems with the security clearance background check process — requires the federal government to implement an automated review that would search public records and databases for information on every individual with a security clearance at least twice, at random times, every five years.

I am also a cosponsor of bipartisan legislation, which passed the Senate last year, to increase accountability and oversight of background checks for individuals who can access secure facilities by directing the Office of Personnel Management to terminate or place on leave any employee that is involved in intentional misconduct affecting the integrity of background investigations, including falsification, fraud, or other serious misconduct.