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“MILITARY CONCERNED ABOUT NATIONAL SECURITY” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H5756 on July 19, 1999.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
MILITARY CONCERNED ABOUT NATIONAL SECURITY
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Stearns). Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 19, 1999, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones) is recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, on a recent Monday night I watched the O'Reilly Factor on Fox News. Lieutenant Colonel McCallum, director of the Office of Safeguards and Security for the Department of Energy, joined Bill O'Reilly to discuss Chinese espionage at our Nation's weapons laboratories. Colonel McCallum revealed very important information about the Energy Department's mismanagement of our sensitive national security information.
In fact, after listening to Colonel McCallum's firsthand accounts, I felt compelled to share his story. Mr. Speaker, I have the honor of representing four of our Nation's military bases, Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base, Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, and the Elizabeth City Coast Guard station, as well as 77,000 of our Nation's brave veterans.
I was home in eastern North Carolina over the July 4 recess, and a number of my constituents asked me what Congress was doing to rectify one of the country's worst breaches of national security in our history? Unfortunately, I had very little to report.
That is why I am here today, Mr. Speaker. The security of the United States is an issue with a critical impact on the citizens of this country, yet it has been swept under the rug by this current administration, and it is not surprising. President Clinton appointed Hazel O'Leary Secretary of Energy, a position she held from 1993 to 1997. The Department of Energy is in place to support our Nation's environmental quality, economic policy, energy security and national security, but when President Clinton appointed Hazel O'Leary head of the Department, she had no experience with nuclear energy or weapons technologies. Now she has been accused of directly compromising our sensitive national security information.
Mr. Speaker, Colonel McCallum served under Secretary O'Leary in the 9 years he has served as security director. During the interview, Mr. O'Reilly asked Colonel McCallum if the allegations against Ms. O'Leary were correct. He replied, and I quote, the Secretary shut down our counterintelligence program, stopped our ability to follow leads and largely opened doors to the Chinese and other adversaries who would want our secrets and our nuclear materials.
Mr. Speaker, this is a direct quote from the security director for the Department of Energy. Colonel McCallum confirmed that Mrs. O'Leary was more concerned with helping the Russians and Chinese with their economics, which is what President Clinton wanted her to do, than she was with the security of the United States of America.
Mr. O'Reilly then asked the colonel his response after witnessing these grave breaches of national security. Colonel McCallum replied, we raised the issue to the Secretary's office on a routine basis to try to get to the Secretary to allow us to protect our highest secrets, to protect our nuclear material and nuclear weapons in the appropriate way and, frankly, we were unable to get in the front door or get her staff to focus on the issue.
Mr. Speaker, that is a direct quote. This is an outrage. The director of security repeatedly contacted the Secretary's office asking her to do something to protect our sensitive nuclear technology, and she ignored him.
Colonel McCallum is not just a disgruntled employee. He served two tours in Vietnam and has a distinguished military career. So why would he risk losing his job with the Department of Energy, his livelihood, by speaking out against his employer? Because, Mr. Speaker, he is telling the truth.
After a 28-year career, Colonel McCallum has been placed on administrative leave and his job has been threatened, simply because he has tried to come forward with the facts.
Mr. Speaker, Colonel McCallum comes from a military family and has a long history of service himself. Yet he is willing to sacrifice his own job by coming forward with concerns based on his faithful dedication to this country. He is a true patriot. He can confirm that under the leadership of President Clinton's appointees, the Department of Energy has ignored the concerns of its security staff and allowed for a Communist nation to steal our nuclear secrets.
Mr. Speaker, Colonel McCallum is right. America must help the administration wake up to the reality that we need to make real and effective changes now to tighten security at our Nation's weapons laboratory. The security of our Nation and the security of every citizen in America may depend on that.
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