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DCSA backlog of security clearance investigations down 24%

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Since standing up a tiger team last year to tackle a persistent backlog of security clearance background investigations, the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency has reduced its caseload by more than 24% — from a peak of 290,000 cases last September to 222,000 in May.

Investigation timelines also improved by about 10% in April.

“We haven’t seen a rise in inventory or timeliness since last year,” DCSA Director David Cattler said during the National Industrial Security Program Policy Advisory Committee (NISPPAC) meeting on Wednesday. “We anticipate we will continue to drive improvement in our performance numbers, even as we are reducing our workforce through the various workforce shaping methods.”

The background investigation inventory for DoD industry currently stands at approximately 33,000 cases — a decrease of 6,000, or 17%, so far this fiscal year. 

Source: The National Industrial Security Program Policy Advisory Committee meeting

Of those cases, 19,000 are tier 5, or top-secret clearance investigations and 14,000 are tier 3, or secret investigations.

Source: The National Industrial Security Program Policy Advisory Committee meeting

The number of pending background investigation cases has been rising since fiscal 2023. By the end of fiscal 2024, DCSA’s inventory of cases had climbed to just under 300,000 — the highest level since the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019. Cattler set up the tiger team last September to address the backlog and identify ways to streamline the investigations process.

At the time, Mark Pekrul, then DCSA’s deputy director for customer and stakeholder engagement, said the tiger team had identified three main challenges contributing to delays in the agency’s background investigations process — workload forecasting, workload management and throughput.

Donna McLeod, senior policy advisor at DCSA, said one bottleneck the agency has worked to address is delays in FBI name checks, which have affected thousands of cases. After the FBI introduced a new prioritization tool in late 2024, the backlog of name-check cases went from 42,000 to 20,000 — a 48% drop. Although recent staffing changes at the FBI Enterprise Vetting Center have slowed progress, McLeod said DCSA expects the caseload to continue decreasing in the coming months.

“Apparently, 11% of the total investigation inventories awaiting are of the FBI nature,” McLeod said.

Part of this turnaround for the agency can be attributed to the use of virtual interviews. In the last four months, about 75% of all interviews have been conducted virtually, compared to 50% in April of last year. The agency has also implemented an expedited review process for  lower-level investigations and the use of overtime for both federal investigators and quality review staff has further contributed to inventory reduction. When asked whether the use of overtime might drive up investigation costs, McLeod said there won’t be an immediate impact since the costs are already set and published. 

“I’m quite sure our finance group will look at and reassess if there will be a long term impact, but the immediate impact is no because those costs are already out there,” McLeod said.

As of the third quarter of fiscal 2025, the average end-to-end processing time for background investigations is 243 days, including 19 days to initiate a case, 215 days to investigate and nine days to adjudicate a case. For tier 3 cases completed through April, the average timeline was significantly shorter — 18 days to initiate a case, 73 days for investigation and 47 days to adjudicate a case.

“Investigation timeliness are expected to decrease as the inventory reduction efforts continue. But please keep in mind as we continue to close those older cases, the overall timeliness will increase. The inventory is coming down, but we’re addressing some of the older cases,” McLeod said.

NBIS program ‘reimagined’ 

Meanwhile, the agency has been working to get the National Background Investigation Services, its key IT program for managing the personnel vetting process, back on track. Cattler said the team “reimagined and rebuilt” the program over the last year. 

The agency implemented a new governance structure, with the office of the under secretary of defense for intelligence and security serving as the program sponsor and requirements manager, while the acquisition and sustainment office serves as the acquisition decision authority. 

“This governance structure is the entry point for industry and customers to provide the requirements,” Cattler said. 

DCSA also developed a digital transformation roadmap and architecture for NBIS.

The program has faced significant delays, but Cattler said it is slated to be completed by the fourth quarter of fiscal 2027, with legacy systems set to be decommissioned throughout fiscal 2028.

In March, the program reached its first milestone on the product roadmap by releasing the initial version of the personnel vetting questionnaire for non-DCSA investigative service providers. 

The post DCSA backlog of security clearance investigations down 24% first appeared on Federal News Network.

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GOP Senator John Thune Quietly BLOCKS Trump Recess Appointments with Sneaky Procedural Maneuver — Launches Series of Pro Forma Sessions to Keep Senate in Fake “Session” During August Recess

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August 3, 2025

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R‑SD) has unveiled a procedural scheme to block President Donald Trump from making any critical appointments during the August recess, effectively aiding the Democrats’ obstructionist agenda.

Under the U.S. Constitution, the president can make “recess appointments,” temporary appointments to federal positions, if the Senate is in recess and not conducting business. These appointments don’t require immediate Senate confirmation and can last until the end of the next session of Congress.

But there’s a loophole: if the Senate holds pro forma sessions, very short, symbolic meetings where no actual business is conducted, then technically, the Senate is still in session. That means the president cannot legally make recess appointments during that time.

John Thune has quietly secured unanimous‑consent for a paper‑thin Senate schedule through the Trump appointee confirmation deadline, ensuring only pro forma sessions on five key dates in early August.

Under the agreement, the chamber will adjourn after today’s business and reconvene without conducting any votes or business on:

  • Tue, Aug 5 – 1:00 p.m.
  • Fri, Aug 8 – 1:05 p.m.
  • Tue, Aug 12 – 8:00 a.m.
  • Fri, Aug 15 – 10:15 a.m.
  • Tue, Aug 19 – 10:00 a.m.
  • Fri, Aug 22 – 9:00 a.m.
  • Tue, Aug 26 – 12:00 p.m.
  • Fri, Aug 29 – 7:00 a.m.

WATCH:

Thune’s pro forma blueprint comes amid mounting pressure from Donald Trump, who has demanded the Senate remain open until all 150+ administration nominees are confirmed.

Under the Recess Appointments Clause, a president may only install nominees without Senate approval if both chambers are in formal recess for at least 10 days. By convening the Senate just long enough every few days, Thune blocks the possibility of Trump making unilateral appointees.

The Senate went into its August recess without confirming all of Trump’s pending judicial and district‑level appointments.

By the time lawmakers left town on Saturday evening, no deal had been reached to move dozens of Trump’s nominees, including U.S. district court picks, through final floor votes.

Only a small handful of nominees (such as Jeanine Pirro to be U.S. Attorney in D.C.) had advanced. Otherwise, nominees remained stalled in committees or waiting for cloture roll‑calls on the executive calendar.

Roughly 150–160 executive and judicial nominations, including over a dozen district court judges and U.S. attorney nominations, remained scheduled but unconfirmed.

The post GOP Senator John Thune Quietly BLOCKS Trump Recess Appointments with Sneaky Procedural Maneuver — Launches Series of Pro Forma Sessions to Keep Senate in Fake “Session” During August Recess appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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‘That’s What I Call Results!’: Trump Admin Saves Jobs, Kicks 1500 Non-English-Speaking Truckers Off the Road

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9 hours ago

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August 3, 2025

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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy revealed that there have been about 1,500 truck drivers who do not speak English taken off the roads as part of a push to ensure foreign truck drivers are not causing accidents.

Back in 2016, the Obama administration stopped enforcing English proficiency requirements for truckers, according to a report from The Daily Signal.

But in May, Duffy issued a guidance making clear that truck drivers who cannot demonstrate a proficiency in English cannot drive.

The 1,500 drivers were taken off the roads within the first 3o days of the rules once more being enforced, according to The Daily Signal.

“Since I took action to enforce language proficiency requirements for truckers, our state partners have put roughly 1,500 unqualified drivers out of service. That’s what I call results!” Duffy posted on X.

“If you can’t read or speak our national language — ENGLISH — we won’t let your truck endanger the driving public.”

He added, “America First = Safety First.”

Duffy’s concerns were far from unfounded.

In January, there was a truck driver involved in a fatal crash that had to use a language interpreter for the post-crash investigation, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Another incident from 2019 involved a truck driver who could not proficiently speak English speeding through signs that warned of steep grades and dangerous curves, all at more than 100 miles per hour.

Four people died in that crash, per the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

President Donald Trump had likewise insisted with an April executive order that the move centered on public safety.

“They should be able to read and understand traffic signs, communicate with traffic safety, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station officers,” the order said of truck drivers.

They also “need to provide feedback to their employers and customers and receive related directions in English,” a position the order called “common sense.”

“It is the policy of my Administration to support America’s truckers and safeguard our roadways by enforcing the commonsense English-language requirement for commercial motor vehicle drivers and removing needless regulatory burdens that undermine the working conditions of America’s truck drivers,” the notice added.

“This order will help ensure a safe, secure, and efficient motor carrier industry.”

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

The post ‘That’s What I Call Results!’: Trump Admin Saves Jobs, Kicks 1500 Non-English-Speaking Truckers Off the Road appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Slovenia Imposes Arms Embargo on Israel, Citing Gaza Conflict

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9 hours ago

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August 3, 2025

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via Wikimedia Commons

Slovenia has imposed an arms embargo on Israel, banning the export, import, and transit of weapons to and from the country.

This decision was announced by Prime Minister Robert Golob following a government session on July 31, 2025.

Slovenia claims to be the first European Union member to take such a step, citing the EU’s inability to act due to internal disagreements.

The government stated that no permits for military exports to Israel have been issued since October 2023, when the conflict in Gaza began.

Officials emphasized that the embargo is an independent measure to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Slovenia has repeatedly called for a ceasefire and increased aid deliveries to the region.

In early July 2025, Slovenia declared two Israeli ministers, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, persona non grata, barring them from entry.

This action was based on their public statements regarding the conflict. Earlier, in June 2024, Slovenia recognized Palestinian statehood, joining countries like Ireland, Norway, and Spain in this move.

The conflict in Gaza started after the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israeli territory, which resulted in over 1,200 deaths and the taking of hostages.

Israel responded with a military operation aimed at dismantling Hamas infrastructure. Reports from Gaza’s health ministry indicate significant casualties, with ongoing international efforts to negotiate truces and provide aid.

Several other nations have taken similar diplomatic steps, including France, Britain, and Canada announcing potential recognition of a Palestinian state. Australia has also indicated that recognizing Palestinian statehood is under consideration.

Israel has criticized these declarations, arguing they could reward Hamas for its actions.

Israeli officials dismissed Slovenia’s embargo as insignificant, noting that Israel does not procure any defense materials from Slovenia.

An unnamed official stated that the country buys nothing from Slovenia, not even minor items.

Within the EU, there is growing pressure for measures against Israel, with Sweden and the Netherlands advocating for suspending parts of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

The European Commission has proposed limiting Israel’s participation in the Horizon research program, though Germany opposes such steps.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul expressed concerns about Israel’s potential diplomatic isolation during a visit to Jerusalem.

The United States remains a key ally to Israel, with President Donald Trump warning that recognizing Palestinian statehood might benefit Hamas.

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff recently met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to advance Gaza truce talks. These efforts aim to address the humanitarian crisis and secure a ceasefire.

The post Slovenia Imposes Arms Embargo on Israel, Citing Gaza Conflict appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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