[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 102 (Monday, July 19, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H5756]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               MILITARY CONCERNED ABOUT NATIONAL SECURITY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Stearns). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 19, 1999, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. 
Jones) is recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, on a recent Monday night I 
watched the O'Reilly Factor on Fox News. Lieutenant Colonel McCallum, 
director of the Office of Safeguards and Security for the Department of 
Energy, joined Bill O'Reilly to discuss Chinese espionage at our 
Nation's weapons laboratories. Colonel McCallum revealed very important 
information about the Energy Department's mismanagement of our 
sensitive national security information.
  In fact, after listening to Colonel McCallum's firsthand accounts, I 
felt compelled to share his story. Mr. Speaker, I have the honor of 
representing four of our Nation's military bases, Camp Lejeune Marine 
Corps Base, Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station, Seymour Johnson Air 
Force Base, and the Elizabeth City Coast Guard station, as well as 
77,000 of our Nation's brave veterans.
  I was home in eastern North Carolina over the July 4 recess, and a 
number of my constituents asked me what Congress was doing to rectify 
one of the country's worst breaches of national security in our 
history? Unfortunately, I had very little to report.
  That is why I am here today, Mr. Speaker. The security of the United 
States is an issue with a critical impact on the citizens of this 
country, yet it has been swept under the rug by this current 
administration, and it is not surprising. President Clinton appointed 
Hazel O'Leary Secretary of Energy, a position she held from 1993 to 
1997. The Department of Energy is in place to support our Nation's 
environmental quality, economic policy, energy security and national 
security, but when President Clinton appointed Hazel O'Leary head of 
the Department, she had no experience with nuclear energy or weapons 
technologies. Now she has been accused of directly compromising our 
sensitive national security information.
  Mr. Speaker, Colonel McCallum served under Secretary O'Leary in the 9 
years he has served as security director. During the interview, Mr. 
O'Reilly asked Colonel McCallum if the allegations against Ms. O'Leary 
were correct. He replied, and I quote, the Secretary shut down our 
counterintelligence program, stopped our ability to follow leads and 
largely opened doors to the Chinese and other adversaries who would 
want our secrets and our nuclear materials.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a direct quote from the security director for 
the Department of Energy. Colonel McCallum confirmed that Mrs. O'Leary 
was more concerned with helping the Russians and Chinese with their 
economics, which is what President Clinton wanted her to do, than she 
was with the security of the United States of America.
  Mr. O'Reilly then asked the colonel his response after witnessing 
these grave breaches of national security. Colonel McCallum replied, we 
raised the issue to the Secretary's office on a routine basis to try to 
get to the Secretary to allow us to protect our highest secrets, to 
protect our nuclear material and nuclear weapons in the appropriate way 
and, frankly, we were unable to get in the front door or get her staff 
to focus on the issue.
  Mr. Speaker, that is a direct quote. This is an outrage. The director 
of security repeatedly contacted the Secretary's office asking her to 
do something to protect our sensitive nuclear technology, and she 
ignored him.
  Colonel McCallum is not just a disgruntled employee. He served two 
tours in Vietnam and has a distinguished military career. So why would 
he risk losing his job with the Department of Energy, his livelihood, 
by speaking out against his employer? Because, Mr. Speaker, he is 
telling the truth.
  After a 28-year career, Colonel McCallum has been placed on 
administrative leave and his job has been threatened, simply because he 
has tried to come forward with the facts.
  Mr. Speaker, Colonel McCallum comes from a military family and has a 
long history of service himself. Yet he is willing to sacrifice his own 
job by coming forward with concerns based on his faithful dedication to 
this country. He is a true patriot. He can confirm that under the 
leadership of President Clinton's appointees, the Department of Energy 
has ignored the concerns of its security staff and allowed for a 
Communist nation to steal our nuclear secrets.
  Mr. Speaker, Colonel McCallum is right. America must help the 
administration wake up to the reality that we need to make real and 
effective changes now to tighten security at our Nation's weapons 
laboratory. The security of our Nation and the security of every 
citizen in America may depend on that.

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