Congressman Crow Joins Senator Hickenlooper in Urging Secretary Austin to Speed Security Clearance Process for STEM Students

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06), Army veteran and member of the Space Force and Defense Workforce, Innovation and Industry Caucuses, and US Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO) sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, urging the Department of Defense (DoD) to create a plan to speed the security clearance process for undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in DoD STEM programs.

The lawmakers emphasized the importance of hiring more STEM workers for national security jobs as aerospace and defense companies in Colorado and across the country struggle to recruit and retain cleared staff.

“The security clearance process—a key requirement for such employment opportunities—suffers from long backlogs in processing and investigations, which risks pushing students to pursue employment outside of the national security sector,” wrote Crow and Hickenlooper.

“We believe initiating the security clearance process for students enrolled in DoD STEM programs may help address these challenges while advancing the Department’s own goals of meeting its growing demand for a talented and diverse STEM workforce,” they continued.

Congressman Crow and Senator Hickenlooper pushed for this report in the FY23 NDAA. The Department of Defense was originally scheduled to deliver the report to the House Armed Services Committee on January 1, 2023.

A PDF of the letter can be foundhere, with text appearing below:  

Dear Secretary Austin,

The Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (FY23 NDAA) included language requesting a report from your office on the feasibility, advisability, and potential benefits of initiating the security clearance process for qualified students enrolled in Department of Defense (DoD) science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs. This report was due to the House Armed Services Committee on January 1, 2023. We write to urge the expeditious completion and transmission of this report to Congress.

As noted in the FY23 NDAA, there is an increasing need within DoD and the broader Defense Industrial Base for new employees with STEM expertise. The Department of Defense manages STEM programs, federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) programs, and university affiliated research center (UARC) programs in which undergraduate and graduate students participate. This population of students represents a well-qualified pool of applicants who have demonstrated technological skills, a commitment to public service, and an interest in continuing their work in national security-related fields.

The security clearance process—a key requirement for such employment opportunities—suffers from long backlogs in processing and investigations, which risks pushing students to pursue employment outside of the national security sector. We continue to hear concerns from defense and aerospace companies with facilities both in Colorado and across the country about the challenges of recruiting and retaining properly cleared staff.

We believe initiating the security clearance process for students enrolled in DoD STEM programs may help address these challenges while advancing the Department’s own goals of meeting its growing demand for a talented and diverse STEM workforce. We look forward to receiving the requested report as soon as possible and working with your office to maintain and expand our defense and national security workforce.