[MMaschin]

I never had a security clearance myself but one would assume that once you have no right to classified info (as in when you cease being a United States Representative) your clearance is immediately and automatically revoked.

That's not how it works. Having a security clearance doesn't give you access to see something, it means if you are required to have access to something, you have been cleared. So, in the above situation, after a person leaves office, their access to classified information is gone, if they held a clearance, having that clearance is moot, because they no longer have access to material.

When I was in the military, I was given a security clearance. When I left the service, I went into defense contracting, and many of my contracts required having a clearance, so having one made it easier to get those contracts.

I believe losing a clearance is a positive action, and not an automatic one.

[Mouton]

There is having a security clearance coupled with having a need to know. You can have a security clearance but you may not have a need to know an area covered by the clearance but outside your perview.

[Mouton]

There is having a security clearance coupled with having a need to know. You can have a security clearance but you may not have a need to know an area covered by the clearance but outside your perview.

[Gay State Conservative]

That's not how it works.

Yes,I understand that once you leave the position that required/allowed you to have a clearance one would also think that your *access* to classified info ("need to know") would also dry up.The point I was trying to make (and made it badly) was that,assuming Carlos lost his clearance upon leaving the House,if he were to "accidentally" come upon classified info you'd be required to "look away" *and* take steps to report the situation to the proper authorities.Carlos would know all that.

[faucetman]

” if you are required to have access”

Correct. Another way to say it is “NEED TO KNOW”.

It doesn’t matter how high your clearance is, you ALSO have to have “a need to know”.

Actually you should look at it the other way around.

FIRST, do you have a need to know, Second, do you have the necessary clearance.