House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) is causing controversy on Capitol Hill for his decision to have his chief of staff serve as staff director of the committee, as well. The staffer has no security clearance–which would severely undermine his ability to deal with the sensitive issues that come before the committee. Perhaps it’s not such a great detriment, however, given that Thompson has refocused the work of the committee away from homeland security, and toward the agency’s contracting process.