Thank you Mr. Chairman for holding today's hearing, which is a continuation of our June 28, 2005 review of the government's security clearance process. This afternoon we will learn more about how the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is implementing Executive Order 13381 on security clearances.

I also wish to thank our witnesses, Director Linda Springer, who is making her first appearance before our Committee as head of OPM, Clay Johnson, Deputy Director for Management at OMB, and Derek Stewart of the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

I would also like to thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your leadership in seeking to reduce the number of government programs on GAO's high-risk list. What we are doing in this Subcommittee -- examining the causes of programmatic problems and routing out inefficiencies -- is having an effect. Our hearing last month on another high-risk area -- the Department of Defense (DoD) supply chain -- proved that a coordinated effort by OMB, GAO, and DoD brings results.

I say this because I just came from an Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee hearing where Chairman Ensign and I heard testimony from Undersecretary Ken Krieg, who also testified at this Subcommittee's hearing on DoD logistics last month. At today's Readiness hearing, Secretary Krieg spoke of the successful collaboration he has with OMB and GAO to develop plans to reduce the number of DoD programs on the high-risk list. In sum, Mr. Chairman, the work you and I are doing here is showing some positive results and will help to remove some programs from the high-risk list.

Today, we're focusing on the progress being made on a primary recommendation of the 9/11 Commission and codified in Title III of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (PL 108-458)

• Designating a single federal agency to be responsible for providing and maintaining security clearances;
• Developing uniform standards;
• Maintaining a single database; and
• Ensuring reciprocity

On the eve of our initial hearing on security clearances last June, the Administration issued its overdue Executive Order giving the Director of OMB overall responsibility for carrying out this provision of the Intelligence Reform Act. OMB delegated authority to OPM to be the lead agency to investigate and track agency-performed adjudications, as well as develop uniform policies and procedures. Under the Executive Order, the Director of National Intelligence would be responsible for supervising and monitoring security clearance investigation and adjudication for members of the Intelligence Community.

I am hopeful our hearing will provide an opportunity to review in detail OPM's plan to implement Executive Order 13381 and GAO's preliminary assessment of the OPM plan, which we received just yesterday.

Mr. Chairman, we're making good progress on the high-risk list, and I am pleased that the Administration, at the highest levels, is involved in this process. Thank you Mr. Chairman.