[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 138 (Monday, August 20, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S5707]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      REVOKING SECURITY CLEARANCES

  Mr. SCHUMER. Finally, on another matter--I see that my colleague from 
Vermont, who, incidentally, is doing an excellent job on the 
appropriations bills, which I believe he will want to discuss--is 
waiting. One more matter: Last week, the Trump administration announced 
it was revoking the security clearance of a former Director of the CIA. 
The action was taken not after a thorough review of the security 
clearance process. It did not affect a new policy. The revocation of 
the former CIA Director's security clearance was a gratuitous act of 
political retribution taken out of spite and malice--sometimes, 
unfortunately, attributes the President shows. It was an attempt to 
silence critics of the President--something the President regularly 
tries to do, usually unsuccessfully.
  My Republican colleague, Senator Corker, said this in July about the 
possibility of President Trump's revoking security clearances. This is 
Republican Senator Bob Corker, a well-respected man in America. He 
said:

       When you're going to start taking retribution against 
     people who are your political enemies . . . that's the kind 
     of thing that happens in Venezuela. . . . it's a banana 
     republic kind of thing.

  Senator Corker is right. The abuse of the powers of public office to 
silence critics and punish political enemies is exactly what goes on in 
dictatorships, in banana republics. We are not one of those, thank God.
  Then we found out on Saturday that the President is openly 
considering reaching into the Justice Department to revoke security 
clearances of a current career professional--this professional that the 
President mentioned works drug cases, anti-gang cases--based solely on 
rumors and innuendo spread by the chairman of the House Intelligence 
Committee--hardly a credible source--and spurious other sources. 
Revoking the clearance of current Justice Department officials without 
cause is so far out of bounds for what can be considered the proper use 
of Presidential power that it is appalling. The words of Senator Corker 
are even more strongly felt.
  What is next? Will President Trump decide to revoke the security 
clearance of everyone working for Special Counsel Mueller because he 
thinks it is in his craven political interest? There is enormous 
potential for gross abuse of Presidential power.
  Congress, on a bipartisan basis, ought to make sure the President 
does not politicize the security clearance policy. Revoking a security 
clearance is a decision that should be done for national security 
reasons and national security reasons alone.
  I yield the floor.

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