Chairman Carper Statement on the One Year Anniversary of the Navy Yard Tragedy

WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released the following statement in observance of the one-year anniversary of the Navy Yard tragedy in Washington, D.C. on September 16, 2013:

“A year ago today, we watched a horrible tragedy unfold at the Navy Yard in Washington D.C. A very troubled individual took 12 lives and injured several others in a senseless act of violence. On this anniversary, we remember the victims, their loved ones, and all those impacted by this tragedy. We also remember the bravery of all those who came to the aid of others that day. While we may never fully understand what events led to the tragedy at the Washington Navy Yard, we have a responsibility to the victims and their families to learn all that we can to prevent similar tragedies from happening again. In its aftermath, our Committee took a closer look at our security clearance process and security practices and procedures at federal facilities. Our hearings and review over the past year made it clear that we need to do a better job safeguarding sensitive government information as well as federal facilities and the men and women who work there. While we’ve made some progress, particularly in the area of improving our security clearance process, more work needs to be done. Congress and the Administration must work together to ensure we are properly managing the risk, measuring progress, and establishing a secure and fair system for evaluating people for sensitive jobs. The world around us is constantly changing and so are the threats to our security. We should always strive to figure out how to respond more effectively to that constant state of change and do things better. We owe it not just to the victims of the Navy Yard tragedy and those who still work there, but to the entire nation.”