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NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023
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speech of
HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON
of mississippi
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, July 13, 2022
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of En Bloc No. 4, which contains a number of provisions that the Committee on Homeland Security has advanced in a bipartisan manner.
I am pleased that it includes Amendment No. 390 that contains the text of H.R. 903, the Rights for the TSA Workforce Act of 2022, as passed by the House in May.
Under TSA's current personnel system, the agency regularly ranks at, or near, the bottom of the annual Federal employee satisfaction surveys and suffers from high attrition.
The most recent Inspector General analysis of employee turnover revealed that in a single year, TSA spent roughly $16 million on hiring and training nearly 2,000 people who left just months after they got the job.
Such costly and disruptive turnover risks hampering security operations and must be addressed meaningfully.
My amendment seeks to attract and retain a mature and stable workforce within TSA by placing the agency under the Federal personnel system set forth in title 5 of the U.S. Code.
Getting the TSA workforce under the personnel system under which most other Federal employees operate has been a priority for many of us for decades. The unprecedented support by the Biden administration has significantly improved prospects for getting this done. And this amendment's inclusion in the NDAA provides an opportunity to engage with our Senate partners in a timely way.
Additionally, I am pleased that En Bloc No. 4 includes Amendment No. 420 that I filed with Rep. John Katko of New York, the Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security. It contains the text of 25 bipartisan homeland security measures that the House had previously approved.
These measures would strengthen community security, improve Department of Homeland Security acquisitions and supply chains, and enhance DHS operations. The bipartisan amendment includes provisions to increase funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program from $75 million to $500 million for each fiscal year through 2028, reform the way DHS procures uniforms issued to Department frontline personnel by encouraging the procurement of domestically sourced items by U.S. small businesses, reauthorize the U.S. Secret Service's National Computer Forensics Institute, authorize a one-stop screening process for certain arriving international travelers, and authorize grants to carry out the Cybersecurity Education and Training Assistance Program, or CETAP--a program to strengthen K-12 cybersecurity education.
I am also pleased that the en bloc includes a measure (Amendment No. 526) authored by Rep. Al Green of Texas to bolster the authorities and operations of the Department's Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Office.
Finally, I am delighted to have the support of Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon, the Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, on Amendment No. 441, which is also included in the en bloc package and seeks to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency in its efforts to instill equity as a foundation of emergency management. Studies have found that low-income communities, rural areas, racial minorities, tribes, individuals with disabilities, seniors, and children are all more likely to experience the most devastating impacts of disasters. Yet, many in these communities and groups face an uphill battle to navigate the complicated Federal assistance processes. With hurricane season underway and wildfires wreaking havoc on communities big and small, passage of my amendment is very timely.
I thank Committee on Armed Services Chairman Adam Smith of Washington and his staff for their partnership with me and my staff throughout this entire process. Looking ahead, I am eager to work with the Senate to get these important provisions in the final NDAA package and on the President's desk.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 116(1), Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 116(2)
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