Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) released the following press release:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, October 8, 2002
Scientific Study Supports N.M. Senators’ Position that DOE Polygraph Policy Must be Changed
WASHINGTON – In light of a new scientific study released today, U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Pete Domenici are calling for the Department of Energy (DOE) to abolish its current policy of using extensive polygraph testing as a screening tool for DOE employees and employees of national defense laboratories, including Sandia and Los Alamos.
The prestigious National Academy of Sciences today unveiled a report that concludes that while polygraph tests have proven effective under some circumstances, they are not an effective way for DOE to screen current and prospective employees. Under the DOE policy, up to 30,000 employees are subject to taking the test.
The report states: “Polygraph testing yields an unacceptable choice for DOE employee security screening between too many loyal employees falsely judged deceptive and too many major security threats left undetected. Its accuracy in distinguishing actual or potential security violators from innocent test takers is insufficient to justify reliance on its use in employee security screening in federal agencies.”
Bingaman, chairman the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, called for the National Academy of Sciences report after Congress required DOE to implement a polygraph program to screen applicants and current employees.
Both Bingaman and Domenici voiced concern at the time that the policy would have a detrimental effect on morale at the labs.
“Polygraph tests may have a role to play in law enforcement, but they don’t work as a screening tool for our national laboratories.
In the panic to protect classified information, Congress rushed to implement a policy that had the effect of treating prospective lab employees as suspects. From a practical standpoint, this policy never made sense to me. Now we have scientific evidence that it doesn’t work. It’s time to change this flawed policy,” Bingaman said.
“This study should prompt DOE to immediately set a new course in how it administers polygraphs.
The widespread application of these tests, now deemed of questionable value, have been corrosive to morale at the labs and other DOE facilities. It is my hope that the NNSA can now develop a more focused polygraph policy that is not an affront to the very workers who are dedicated to the United States and its defense,” Domenici said.
Domenici authored and Bingaman cosponsored the legislation, later incorporated into the FY2002 Defense Authorization Bill, that requires the DOE secretary and National Nuclear Security
Administration administrator to implement a new DOE polygraph program based on the conclusions of the National Academy of Sciences Polygraph Review.
In a letter today, the Senators urge Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham to immediately begin revising the polygraph policy.
“Given the findings of the Academy’s study and the continuing dissatisfaction with DOE’s existing polygraph program, we urge you to place high priority on the development of a new, significantly scaled-back program that focuses on the use of the polygraph as an interrogation tool and not for employee screening. We are particularly interested in receiving your recommendations regarding any legislative action you believe is necessary to effect a new polygraph program,” the Senators wrote.
-30-
CONTACTS: Jude McCartin (Bingaman) 202-224-1804
Chris Gallegos (Domenici) 202-224-7082