1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

I understand that Reps. Don Beyer (D-VA) and Ted Lieu (D-CA) have introduced a bill called the Security Clearance Review Act (it’s as yet unnumbered). I’d like you to support it. This piece of legislation would reform the process by which security clearances are approved for political appointees in the Executive Office of the President (EOP), amid reports that President-elect Donald Trump and his advisors intend to bypass traditional background checks to grant security clearances to political appointees. The bill would codify the FBI’s role in conducting background check investigations for EOP employees, and require congressional notifications in cases where the President overrules the FBI on granting such employees access to classified information. The Security Clearance Review Act would require the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) to make a written recommendation to the President that an individual flagged by the White House security office be denied final approval to receive a security clearance. Such a recommendation would be accompanied by notifications to the Chair and Ranking Member of House and Senate Intelligence, Oversight, and Judiciary Committees. In compliance with Article II of the Constitution, the President would have the ability to overrule such a recommendation and grant approval to persons so flagged, but the legislation would require that such a decision be justified to Congress in writing. Please do all you can to pass this bill before Trump becomes President. Thanks.