Congress quietly removes security clearance process from White House and transfers it to the Pentago

[turbinetree]

Source: Raw Story

Published 4 hours ago

on July 25, 2019
By David Cay Johnston, DC Report @ Raw Story

Congress Forced Move After Putin’s Friend in the Oval Office Interfered in Clearance Process for Jared and Ivanka

The Trump Administration, after making a mess of security clearances for federal workers and contractors, is about to hand off to the Pentagon the biggest change in the clearance system in a half-century.

Concern about the security clearance system is not new, but the Government Accountability Office documents serious deterioration since Trump took office. The GAO is the investigative arm of Congress.

The Trump Administration did such a poor job with security clearances that in 2018 the GAO put the entire security clearance system on its High-Risk List.

That’s not surprising given Donald Trump’s continual attacks on our national intelligence agencies as he praises the integrity of Vladimir Putin.


Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/2019/07/congress-quietly-removes-security-clearance-process-from-white-house-and-transfers-it-to-the-pentagon/

[Me.]

1. Now That's Interesting

Quietly, quietly the Congress, meaning the Dems, is getting things done

[iluvtennis]

2. Good

[pandr32]

3. Gawd, I hope they can revoke clearances

Please, someone, tell me they can...and will.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

18. Maybe they can revoke Fat Donnie's security clearance.

It's not like he ever uses it.







"Trump security" is an oxymoron, considering how insecure IQ45 is.

[pandr32]

23. Agreed!

[Totally Tunsie]

27. "Fat Donnie" doesn't have, nor does he need, a security clearance.

A SC is also not required for the VP, members of Congress or the Supreme Court.

https://fas.org/blogs/secrecy/2016/11/clearances-presidential/

“Security clearances are not mandated for the President, Vice President, Members of Congress, Supreme Court Justices, or other constitutional officers,” a recent Congressional Research Service report explains. “The criteria for election or appointment to these positions are specified in the U.S. Constitution, and except by constitutional amendment, no additional criteria (e.g., holding a security clearance) may be required.”

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

28. That's a little disturbing. You can run for president without having to have

anyone look at your background. When I was in the Air Force it took forever to fill out the paperwork so I could have a background investigation for a Top Secret clearance. Of course, we were only handling nuclear devices, so that's different.

[Totally Tunsie]

29. I've always found this VERY disturbing and quite unbelievable

but it's unfortunately true, especially with the current administration.

Having been through the process myself, it seems unfathomable that our nation's top officers aren't subject to this scrutiny. As an "innocent" in my early 20's, it took 3+ months sitting in "Deep Freeze" waiting for my Secret clearance to come through, followed by another similar period as I was being cleared for the higher Secret-Special Access, while working for McDonnell-Douglas in CA. Of course, at that rate and if done properly, it would probably take years before Chump + Company received their rejections for same.

[sheshe2]

4. Good move.

[onecaliberal]

5. When is Kushner and his wife's clearances getting revoked.

[Merlot]

6. For this administration it's a good thing, but do we really want

the military having this power?

[tetedur]

16. The military takes orders.

It is not their "duty" to go against the commands of their superiors.

[DavidCayJohnston]

30. You should read the oaths as not what you think

Grunts and sailors take an oath to follow presidential orders and to defend our Constitution.

Officers take an oath ONLY to uphold our Constitution.

[onenote]

7. Typically incomplete, misleading raw story piece.

Trump signed an executive order transferring the security clearance process to the Pentagon last April.

https://www.fedscoop.com/security-clearances-transfer-executive-order/

[erronis]

11. Thanks. Too bad we are a reverb for raw (non) story.

I'd really like a way to up/down vote articles/posts based on reality.

[Delmette2.0]

12. Thank you.

I thought he did just that to get the blame off himself. Thank you for adding the link.

[JudyM]

24. How does that square with what Warner sponsored?

(Snip from the OP article)

The law was sponsored by Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.), vice-chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

The changes are in Section 901 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018. It requires the Secretary of Defense to take charge of security clearance investigations by October 1, 2020, the first day of the 2021 budget year. All personnel background and security investigations will be handled by the Defense Department’s Consolidated Adjudication Facility.

[IronLionZion]

26. both are true, the law is more effective than an executive order

Trump signed both an executive order and the National Defense Authorization Act.

Separately from that, Warner has also sponsored other bills to strengthen the clearance process. Dems might have to take the Senate and white house for those bills to become law.

[ffr]

8. Wow, that last paragraph is pointed. It's as if I wrote it.

But then, any of us could have written it, because it's the truth. Our government is under siege by the KGOP.

[keithbvadu2]

9. But Jared needs it to sell secrets to their pals.

[randr]

10. Take away the keys for christs sake

[erronis]

13. Not sure this is accurate. There are lots of different clearances and some aren't DoD.

The CIA, NSA, DOE, State and many other agencies/fiefdoms have their own set of clearances.

Let alone need-to-know, SCIF, eyes-only, read-this-and-die.

[Odoreida]

14. Really? You want to give up civilian control?

What about after Trump is no longer president?

[ancianita]

19. When a new commander-in-chief wants it back, the Pentagon & congress cooperate. Right now, military

Last edited Thu Jul 25, 2019, 11:25 PM - Edit history (1)

are the smartest officials under executive leadership.

Congress represents The People, and this move, given the subpoenas and SDNY investigations, might be needed for proper, uncompromised civilian branch of government.

[Odoreida]

21. Now that I think of it, I take back what I said. Because this is just for show and means nothing.

Trump is still Commander-in-Chief and he can summarily fire any of them who do not obey him in this or any other matter.

[ancianita]

22. He relieves them of command. Obama did it over a hundred times.

Here's what the military thinks of Trump. Officers tend to not like him.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

25. SecDef is a civilian. n/t

[dlk]

15. This Has Been a National Security Nightmare

I’m afraid, however, the damage has been done.

[usaf-vet]

17. WATCH! now all of the security clearance problems including Jared, Ivanka and her brothers.....

.... will NOW be blamed on the Pentagon.

A typical Trump deflection.

[mcar]

20. Democrats are spineless!!11

Democrats don't do anything!!11

Seriously, Dems. Well done