On the recordJuly 24, 2013
I appreciate the remarks on the specific language of the amendment, and I do hope that we will continue to work through the conference process to address any concerns about the language because we can all agree that this is a serious issue. It is extremely important that the DOD continues to grant security clearances to employees who are charged with doing critical and sensitive work. There are many factors that DOD considers when determining if an individual can do these important jobs and to ensure that an employee is trustworthy. Sequestration-related furloughs and any financial hardships that come from sequestration are not an employee's fault. No civilian employee should be denied a security clearance because of Congress' inability to undo sequestration. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and support DOD civilians and the work they do for our country. I yield back the balance of my time.
