{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/security-clearance-background-checkssenate-passes-mccaskill-backed-bill-to-strengthen-national-security-process", "Security Clearance Background Checks—Senate Passes McCaskill-Backed Bill to Strengthen National Security Process", "2016-11-18", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Security Clearance Background Checks\u2014Senate Passes McCaskill-Backed Bill to Strengthen National Security Process \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Bipartisan legislation to reform background check process, boost national security moves forward \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, November 18, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 The U.S. Senate has passed legislation backed by U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill to reform the security clearance background check process. The Security Clearance Accountability, Reform, and Enhancement Act, which McCaskill co-sponsored with Senator Jon Tester of Montana, prohibits federal contractors and employees who have compromised the integrity of a background investigation from performing future background investigations.\r\n\u201cWe\u2019ve seen far too many lapses in our background check system that undermine our national security and compromise our country\u2019s secrets and secure facilities,\u201d said McCaskill, who was just named the top-ranking Democrat of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs for the upcoming Congress. \u201cSecurity clearance background checks have to be conducted with the utmost level of oversight, integrity, and accountability\u2014we\u2019re one step closer to that critical goal, and I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House to get this across the finish line.\u201d\r\nNoting that more than four million Americans have a security clearance, this legislation also forces the federal government to update policies determining which positions and contracts require a security clearance. Additionally, the legislation would direct the President to: (1) review and update guidance for agencies to 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 led an investigation that 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 the quality of background investigations conducted by contractors, including USIS itself\u2014the federal government\u00a0stopped\u00a0allowing private contractors to oversee their own work in security clearance background checks.\r\nEarlier this year, McCaskill and Tester\u00a0wrote\u00a0to the Office of Personnel Management to request information regarding its ability to meet key milestones in creating the new National Background Investigations Bureau, which will take over federal background investigation functions from the Federal Investigative Services. The Administration has yet to provide all of the requested documentation, failing to answer even the most basic questions such as the expected number of employees.\u00a0With the new bureau officially opening its doors on October 1, 2016, the Senators continue to express concerns that the basic structures of the bureau are still not in place.\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/defense\u00a0to learn more about McCaskill\u2019s fight to protect our national security.\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/security-clearance-background-checkssenate-passes-mccaskill-backed-bill-to-strengthen-national-security-process"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.8017571419477463, "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"}