Cleared Congressional Round-Up: The week’s latest from Congress on legislation, hearings and oversight affecting those in the cleared world.
Continuing Resolution
Consuming Congress this week was the struggle to deliver a continuing appropriations resolution to prevent a government shutdown on Oct. 1. A cloture vote is scheduled for Friday morning in the Senate, but the bill still requires final passage there as well as in the House. Just a reminder: If the federal government is ever subject to a “shutdown” through lack of appropriation, background security investigations for security clearances would not stop. They are financed through a revolving fund account that is not subject to an annual appropriation.
FISA Reform
After the June intelligence leaks by Edward Snowden, years-long controversy reignited over the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). This week Sens. Ron Wyden and Dianne Feinstein introduced dueling bills in the Senate to reform FISA.
Sen. Wyden – a frank skeptic of many FISA provisions – may have the bill with more teeth. Sen. Feinstein, a long-time defender of the program’s legality, proposed in her bill limits on the NSA’s controversial phone metadata program, but stated she intends to “preserve” it. Her proposals include requiring annual agency reports, creating new statutory mandates regarding to protect US persons, and requiring Senate confirmation for the NSA director, among others.
President Rouhani’s Speech to the United Nations
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani addressed the United Nations this week where he insisted his nation supported the destruction of all nuclear weapons, and both acknowledged and denounced the Holocaust. Leaders of both House and Senate foreign affairs committees issued statements. Both men were…unimpressed.
Statement by Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Chairman, Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Statement by Rep. Ed Royce (R.-CA), Chairman, House Committee on Foreign Affairs
SENATE
U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
The committee held a hearing Thursday to discuss potential legislative changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Among the witnesses were Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and National Security Agency Director General Keith Alexander. Watch the Thursday’s hearing.
HOUSE
House Committee of Foreign Affairs
Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) co-authored an op-ed in the LA Times this week on Iran.
Chairman Royce is the author of bipartisan Nuclear Iran Prevention Act (H.R. 850), the legislation “broadens economic sanctions, strengthens human rights sanctions, and increases oversight of the implementation and enforcement of existing sanctions.” H.R. passed the House and awaits action in Senate committee.
House Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security
Thursday the Subcommittee held the hearing, “Fulfilling a Key 9/11 Commission Recommendation: Implementing Biometric Exit.” Officials from the Department of Homeland Security and the Government Accountability Office testified.
“This hearing will focus on how we as a nation establish a biometric exit system – one that serves our national security interests as a counterterrorism tool, as well as immigration control efforts. Adding a reliable biometric exit system reduces the chance that overstays can stay in the country beyond their period of admission and, most importantly, reduces the threat from terror in the process.” – Subcommittee Chairman Candice Miller (R-MI)
