{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-backed-security-clearance-bill-clears-the-senate", "McCaskill-backed Security Clearance Bill Clears the Senate", "2014-12-18", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill-backed Security Clearance Bill Clears the Senate \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senators\u2019 bipartisan legislation would increase accountability in background check process \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 18, 2014\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 The U.S. Senate this week gave unanimous approval to the Security Clearance Accountability, Reform, and Enhancement Act, bipartisan legislation backed by U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill aimed at better protecting the country\u2019s secure facilities and sensitive information by strengthening accountability in background checks.\r\n\u201cWhen it comes to conducting background checks on the individuals who handle America\u2019s most secure secrets and institutions, there is no room for error,\u201d said McCaskill, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Financial & Contracting Oversight and former Missouri State Auditor. \u201cConsidering the kinds of threats we face as a nation, security clearance background checks must be conducted with the utmost level of oversight, integrity, and accountability.\u201d \u00a0\r\nThis legislation would direct 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. Individuals employed or contracted by the Office of Personnel Management that are intentionally involved in such misconduct would also be debarred or suspended.\r\nAdditionally, the legislation would direct the President to review and update guidance for agencies to: (1) determine whether a position requires a security clearance; (2) implement such guidance, including quality controls; and (3) review (at least every five years) and, if necessary, revise the designation of a position as requiring access to classified information or secure government facilities.\r\nFollowing the systemic problems with the security clearance background check process highlighted by security leaks from contractor Edward Snowden and the tragic shooting at the Washington Navy Yard, McCaskill revealed that USIS, the company responsible for conducting the background investigations for both Snowden and Navy Yard shooter Aaron Alexis, was under criminal investigation. After McCaskill questioned the fact that USIS had two separate contracts with the federal government\u2014one to conduct background investigations, the other to oversee background investigations conducted by contractors, including USIS itself\u2014the federal government stopped allowing private contractors to oversee their own work in security clearance background checks.\r\nMcCaskill has led additional efforts to bring accountability to the security clearance process, including two other related pieces of bipartisan legislation. The first\u2014 the Security Clearance Oversight Reform (SCORE) Act\u2014became law in October of 2013. This legislation allows the Inspector General of Office of Personnel Management to use resources from the agency's $2 billion Revolving Fund to more thoroughly investigate cases where the integrity of the background check process may have been compromised.\r\nThe second bill, would require OPM to implement an automated search of public records and databases on every individual with a security clearance at least twice, at random times, every five years. As it stands now, once a person obtains a security clearance no additional reviews of that person's background are conducted until their security clearance is renewed. Depending on the level of security clearance, that interval could be up to 5, 10, or even 15 years.\r\nVisit mccaskill.senate.gov/accountability to learn more about McCaskill's fight to strengthen accountability.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-backed-security-clearance-bill-clears-the-senate"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.580480020493269, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}