Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins is unveiling a bipartisan proposal to change the security clearance process after President Trump revoked clearances for high-profile opponents.
The bill would bar any administration from revoking a clearance for political purposes or retaliation.
It also bans federal agencies from using security clearances to punish whistleblowers or discriminate.
“The security clearance system is critical to protecting our country from harm and safeguarding access to our most classified information. Americans should have the utmost confidence in the integrity of the security clearance process,” said Senator Collins in a statement Thursday. “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 was joined by Democratic Senator Mark Warner of Virginia in unveiling the bill, known as the “Integrity in Security Clearance Determinations Act.”
“Americans should be able to have confidence that the security clearance process is focused solely on protecting our nation’s most sensitive information,” said Senator Warner. “This bipartisan legislation will make clear that this vital system cannot be weaponized for political retribution.”
Collins and Warner first introduced the legislation in 2019, during President Trump’s first term.
The reintroduction also comes after President Biden previously revoked Trump’s clearance following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.