House Democrats introduce legislation to codify FBI's role in vetting White House appointees

The new bill would require that White House employees receive their security clearances through the FBI, and that any FBI recommendation against granting the security clearance be reported to Congress.

Published: November 19, 2024 4:44pm

House Democrats on Tuesday introduced legislation that seeks to codify the FBI's role in vetting employees appointed to the Executive Office of the President for security clearances.

Recent reports have alleged that President-elect Donald Trump's transition team bypassed traditional FBI background checks for certain Cabinet nominees, and used private companies to vet potential White House employees, according to CNN.

The new bill, titled the "Security Clearance Review Act," would require that White House employees receive their security clearances through the FBI and that any FBI recommendation against granting the security clearance be reported to Congress. 

The president, who can already grant security clearances without FBI approval, would be able to veto the FBI's recommendations but the override would also have to be reported to Congress, per Politico.

The bill is not expected to advance in the lower chamber, which is controlled by Republicans.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.

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