[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 105 (Monday, July 29, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1468]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       CIVIL SERVICE AMENDMENT FOR HOMELAND SECURITY LEGISLATION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 26, 2002

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of this 
amendment. As currently written, H.R. 5005 would needlessly undermine 
civil service protections for one hundred and seventy thousand federal 
workers in the new department--both union and non-union.
  At a time when we need to attract and retain the best and the 
brightest to this new department, it makes no sense at all to strip its 
workers of their most basic civil service protections. What happens to 
the federal workers who transfer to this department and find that the 
benefits of civil service are suddenly gone?
  For instance, are these dedicated, loyal federal workers simply 
supposed to accept the fact that they can be fired without even so much 
as an explanation? Are they supposed to simply accept that their pay 
has been unceremoniously cut by a third? Is that the message we want to 
be sending to the rank-and-file preparing to protect the nation at this 
new department?
  We have in place rules and regulations that have worked for decades, 
rules that were put in place to not only protect workers but also to 
ward off political patronage and corruption. A Homeland Security 
Department is not the place to reinstate either.
  Mr. Chairman, our civil service protections are good enough for the 
Defense Department. They are good enough for the CIA, the FBI and 
virtually everyone else in the Federal government. I fail to see how 
they are not good enough for the one hundred and seventy thousand 
workers who will be working in the new Homeland Security Department.
  Again, I strongly urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

                          ____________________