Frank Lautenberg: “this modified version of my amendment contains several good suggestions from the managers of this bill, Senator Warner…”

“this modified version of my amendment contains several good suggestions from the managers of this bill, Senator Warner and Senator Levin. My underlying amendment stands for a very simple proposition: Those who knowingly compromise significant classified information should not continue to hold a security clearance and they should be denied further access to classified information. The modification to the amendment makes clear that it applies to Members of the Congress and to their staffs as well. My amendment is similar to one offered by our Democratic leader, Senator Reid, in July. Some of our colleagues reacted to Senator Reid's amendment by expressing their concern that it was an open-ended standard. In deference to these concerns, I have added the ``knowing'' standard; in other words, if someone reveals information knowingly. I am pleased to see my colleagues find this version acceptable. Senator Warner and I served in World War II. We had an expression then. It said: ``Loose lips sink ships.'' Everybody was participating in protecting ourselves from revealing information to the enemy. Exposing our secrets was a grave offense then and it is a grave offense now. No one is above this law and no one has a right to keep their security clearance if they knowingly reveal our secrets. Anybody in Government, whether the White House or the Congress or a Government employee, should have to live by the same standards as other hard- working Federal employees.…”