House Democrats are proposing legislation to codify the FBI’s role in vetting White House appointees for security clearances, a bill aimed squarely at recent reports that Donald Trump is bypassing the bureau.
The Security Clearance Review Act would require employees of the Executive Office of the President to be approved for a security clearance by the FBI. Any decision by the FBI director to recommend against approving a prospective employee’s clearance would be reported to Congress.
Under the bill, a president could override the FBI’s recommendation, but that too would be subject to a disclosure to Congress.
The bill, sponsored by Reps. Don Beyer (D-Va.) and Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), has little chance of advancing in a Republican-controlled Congress. But it’s another sign of a return to Democrats’ Trump-era posture, filing legislation intended to highlight what they see as the excesses and dangers of the first Trump presidency.
Trump, once he’s in office, will have the power to grant security clearances no matter the outcome of any background checks.
Four years ago, Democrats were enraged after reports suggested Trump overruled security clearance determinations to ensure his son-in-law Jared Kushner received a clearance.
