Security Clearance Modernization, and More Hearings
The Department of Defense denied security clearances to 8,065 individuals in 2008, according to a recent congressional hearing volume. “These numbers represent a small percentage of the total number of security clearance investigations. The vast majority of investigations are adjudicated favorably.” See “Security Clearance Reform: Moving Forward on Modernization,” Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, September 15, 2009 (published April 2010). (Update: The statistics on clearance denials are given on page 92 of the PDF version of the hearing.)
Among other recently published congressional hearing volumes on national security topics are these:
“An Uneasy Relationship: U.S. Reliance on Private Security Firms in Overseas Operations” (pdf), Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, February 27, 2008 (published March 2010).
“Reauthorizing the USA PATRIOT Act: Ensuring Liberty,” Senate Judiciary Committee, September 23, 2009 (published April 2010).
“A Strategic and Economic Review of Aerospace Exports” (pdf), House Foreign Affairs Committee, December 9, 2009 (published April 2010).
The Federation of American Scientists supports the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act of 2026 (WEPA). The Act would amend Section 319(b) of the Clean Air Act so that it addresses prescribed burns as a standalone activity. If passed, this bill would support wildfire resilience by reducing administrative barriers to getting needed prescribed burns on the ground. […]
As Congress considers broader packages to advance critical minerals production and supply chain resilience, science diplomacy vehicles must be part of that conversation, not as an afterthought, but as an intentional and foundational pillar of any strategy.
“Structured partnerships with our allies on critical minerals innovation can ensure that the best science and the best talent are working together towards shared security and economic prosperity.”
This is a bipartisan, commonsense measure to reauthorize the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) before it expires in September 2026.