{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=9d3099c7-0ba5-468a-b280-4ba6b04c249f", "Portman, Tester Background Check Bill Cleared by Senate", "2014-12-16", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "OH", "Rob Portman", "P000449", "www.portman.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 The Senate this week passed U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Jon Tester\u2019s (D-Mont.) bipartisan bill to crack down on bad behavior in the nation\u2019s security clearance process.\r\nPortman and Tester\u2019s Security Clearance Accountability, Reform and Enhancement (SCARE) Act increases accountability and transparency in the security clearance process. The bill prohibits contractors and federal employees found to have compromised the integrity of a background investigation from performing background investigations from that point forward.\u00a0\r\nThe Senators said the approval of the SCARE Act would go a long way toward strengthening the nation\u2019s security clearance process and making the country safer.\r\n\u201cThis commonsense bill will allow us to hold accountable those involved in conducting security clearance investigations and start to get our arms around the issue of how many people really need a clearance.\u00a0 Both of these things are critical to ensuring that we have a clearance process that is efficient and effective,\u201d said Portman. \u201cI\u2019m pleased it has passed the Senate and look forward to working with our colleagues in the House of Representatives to put this into law.\u201d\r\n\u201cPeople who have compromised background investigations shouldn\u2019t be part of the process,\u201d Tester said.\u00a0 \u201cWhen our national security is at stake, we need workers committed to doing the job right, not cutting corners.\u00a0 With the Washington Navy Yard shooting still on our minds, these changes will ensure we have a security clearance process capable of protecting our nation and our interests.\u201d\r\nPortman and Tester\u2019s legislation also forces the government to update its policy determining which positions require a security clearance, something Tester has been pushing since last year after it was revealed that nearly five million people have been granted access to our nation\u2019s most sensitive information, including 1.4 million with a top secret security clearance. \u00a0\r\nAlong with a bipartisan group of Senators, Portman and Tester originally introduced the measures after Edward Snowden, a former government contractor, publicly revealed classified information in June 2013.\u00a0 The Navy Yard shooting in Washington, D.C. in September 2013 further revealed significant lapses in the background investigation process for security clearances.\r\nThe provisions in the SCARE Act stem from a hearing Tester and Portman held last year that revealed a lack of oversight and accountability is wasting taxpayer dollars and jeopardizes the security of our nation\u2019s most sensitive information.\r\n###", 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.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=9d3099c7-0ba5-468a-b280-4ba6b04c249f"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0622451081871986, "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"}