[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 147 (Wednesday, September 5, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H7865]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1800
                 PUSH BACK ON CLEARANCES BEING REVOKED

  (Mr. LANGEVIN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, last month, President Trump stripped 
former CIA Director John Brennan of his security clearance. That was 
not done because Director Brennan posed a threat to national security. 
No, it was done to silence a political opponent.
  Mr. Speaker, all Americans agree that the President should not be 
able to order the IRS to initiate an audit against a rival, and we 
should all be able to agree that he may not use his authority to revoke 
a security clearance. Yet the President has announced that he intends 
to invalidate the clearances of other current and former officials who 
disagree with his policies.
  That is why I introduced H.R. 6680 with my colleagues, Mr. Lieu and 
Ranking Member Schiff of the Intelligence Committee, that will prevent 
the administration from revoking security clearances for political 
reasons. My bill would give agency officials the basis to push back on 
White House demands that more clearances be revoked outside of judicial 
processes and protocols.
  Mr. Speaker, granting, denying, or revoking security clearances for 
political retribution or the stifling of political dissent is un-
American, and it should never be tolerated or allowed. I urge my 
colleagues to support this important legislation.

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