News: A bipartisan pair of senators will unveil legislation today aimed at preventing President Donald Trump from revoking security clearances of his perceived enemies.
Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a senior member of that panel, are reviving legislation they first introduced in 2019 that would establish specific criteria for granting, denying or revoking clearances.
Democrats and some Republicans have taken issue with what they’ve characterized as Trump’s weaponization of the security clearance process for political retribution.
In recent months, Trump has revoked the clearances of former President Joe Biden and top officials in his administration, in addition to those involved in Trump’s first impeachment. Trump’s allies have noted that Biden canceled Trump’s clearance in 2021 after the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.
“Americans should be able to have confidence that the security clearance process is focused solely on protecting our nation’s most sensitive information,” Warner said.
“This bipartisan bill would make the current system fairer and more transparent by ensuring that decisions to grant, deny, or revoke clearances are based solely on codified guidelines,” Collins said.
The bill also prohibits the revocation of security clearances based on the individual’s constitutional rights, such as freedom of speech and expression. And it allows those individuals to appeal a denial or revocation.
