“Congress must crack down on those agencies that are letting security measures and procedures lapse,” Jones said. “The United States recently suffered one of the worst breaches of national security in history because the Department of Energy failed to adequately protect our sensitive technology.  We cannot afford a similar mistake in the future.  It is critical that we take action to ensure our technology is secure and those individuals with access to classified information are sound.” 

 In a January 4 letter to House Armed Services Committee Chairman Floyd Spence (R-SC), Congressman Jones and his colleagues requested oversight hearings on the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals (DOHA).  DOHA was found to have granted security clearances to employees of defense contractors who have long histories of financial problems, drug use, alcoholism, sexual misconduct, or criminal activity.  A full text of the letter is available upon request.

 “In light of the current espionage threat against the United States, DOHA should be taking tougher measures to obstruct hostile intelligence service’s ability to gather intelligence.  One obvious first step would be to deny unsuitable people access to classified information,” the Members wrote to Spence.

 “Instead, DOHA’s lax security procedures and/or incompetence could possibly be aiding a foreign intelligence service’s ability to blackmail unsuitable personnel such as embezzlers, sex offenders, etc who presently have access to classified information,” the Members wrote.

 The additional signatories are Representatives Bob Barr (GA), Joe Barton (TX), Helen Chenoweth-Hage (ID), Tom Coburn (OK), Phil Crane (IL), Barbara Cubin (WY), Jim DeMint (SC), Wally Herger (CA), John Hostettler (IN), Sam Johnson (TX), Steve Largent (OK), David McIntosh (IN), Joseph Pitts (CA), Pete Sessions (TX), John Shadegg (AZ), Mark Souder (IN), Cliff Stearns (FL), Tom Tancredo (CO), and David Vitter, (LA).