By Jonathan Marino
The Defense Security Service late Tuesday announced it has located enough funding to partially resume processing of security clearances.
In a brief statement posted on its Web site, the agency said it has started processing initial requests for secret clearances. It still has not resumed its work on Top Secret clearance requests – which take more time – or on re-investigations of already cleared contractors who are renewing credentials, but said it will do so when additional funding is available.
The agency's move came on the eve of Senate and House committee hearings Wednesday to examine how DSS ran out of funds to process clearance requests, and what can be done to remedy the situation quickly. DSS' unexpected move to halt clearance processing late last month stunned and enraged some private sector managers who said it exacerbates recruitment problems. Some requests take more than a year to process.
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