Waco Reporter

Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce Chairman Pete Sessions and Ranking Member Kweisi Mfume have taken steps to address ongoing issues with the Department of Defense's personnel vetting practices. They have expressed concerns over delays and problems with the National Background Investigation Service (NBIS) program. In a letter to U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) Comptroller General Gene L. Dodaro, they requested a review of NBIS, citing missed deadlines and cost overruns in developing a modernized security clearance system.

"The Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce remains concerned with the status of the Department of Defense’s (DOD) personnel vetting practices, especially given the ongoing problems with the National Background Investigation Service (NBIS) program, overseen by DOD’s Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA)," wrote the lawmakers. "We are further concerned that national security personnel are not undergoing all required record checks, non-sensitive personnel have not been enrolled in a continuous vetting system, and there are indications that there are challenges implementing continuous vetting across the federal government."

In 2015, cybersecurity incidents compromised data from IT systems supporting personnel vetting for more than 22 million federal employees and contractors. The DOD established NBIS to improve these systems. However, GAO has reported significant delays with NBIS development, listing it as high-risk. In June 2024, a hearing was held by the Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce to examine DOD's progress in modernizing NBIS infrastructure. Lawmakers voiced bipartisan concern about continued delays affecting national security.

"Continuous vetting involves reviewing the background of a covered individual through automated record checks in various areas, including criminal records, terrorism, and financial issues during an individual’s period of eligibility. Unfortunately, these changes have not occurred as planned due to continued NBIS delays," continued the lawmakers in their letter to GAO. "Given the importance of a timely, accurate and comprehensive personnel vetting process, we request that GAO conduct a review on continued NBIS development and continuous vetting."

The full letter to Comptroller General Dodaro is available for reading.