[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 97 (Wednesday, July 14, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1370-E1371]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   THE INTRODUCTION OF THE ``CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS DEMONSTRATION 
                             PROJECT ACT''

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 13, 2004

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, in the late 1990s, the Government 
Reform and Education and Workforce Committees, held oversight hearings 
to examine the barriers to telecommuting and federal agencies' 
development and promotion of telework programs. It was then thought 
that the primary benefits of telecommuting were reducing traffic 
congestion and pollution, improving recruitment and retention of 
employees, reducing the need for office space, increasing productivity, 
and improving the quality-of-life and morale of federal employees.
  These continue to be compelling and valid reasons for implementing 
agencywide telework programs. Representative Frank Wolf is to be 
commended for moving legislation that pushes agencies to increase the 
number of federal employees who telecommute.
  Today, post 9-11, we are again holding hearings on telecommuting. We 
have another, very compelling reason to push federal agencies, and 
ourselves, to develop and implement the infrastructure and work 
processes necessary to support telecommuting. They are emergency 
preparedness and the continued threat of terrorism.
  The question we must ask ourselves is this: In the event of an 
emergency, are we--this Committee, our staffs, and federal agencies--
prepared to serve the American people, if in an emergency situation, 
our primary places of work are no longer available to us?
  You only have to read the General Accounting Office's (GAO) April 
2004 report entitled, ``Human Capital: Opportunities to Improve Federal 
Continuity Planning Guidance,'' to know that the answer is no.
  The GAO report notes that the government is better prepared to handle 
an emergency than it was before 9-11, but there is room for 
improvement. Federal agencies' continuity of

[[Page E1371]]

operations plans (COOP) address securing the safety of all employees 
and responding to the needs of personnel performing essential 
operations, but essential personnel make up only a small portion of the 
total federal workforce.
  Neither the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) nor the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the agencies responsible for 
providing emergency preparedness guidance in COOP, have addressed 
workforce considerations related to the resumption of broader agency 
operations. While COOP efforts should give priority to the safety of 
all employees and address the needs of those who directly support 
essential operations, the resumption all other operations is crucial to 
achieving mission results and serving the American people.

  The GAO report states that, ``Given that the majority of employees 
would be associated with resumption efforts rather than essential 
operations, considering this segment of the organization is an 
important part of continuity planning.'' According to GAO, continuity 
efforts should be guided by two key workforce principles: the 
demonstration of sensitivity to individual employee needs and the 
maximization of all employees contributions to mission results.
  I introduced H.R. 4797 to push agencies to do just that. The 
legislation would require the Chief Human Capital Officer Council to 
conduct and evaluate a 30-day demonstration project that broadly uses 
employees' contributions to an agency's operations from alternate work 
locations, including home. The outcome of the demonstration project 
would provide agencies and Congress with approaches to gaining 
flexibility and identifying work processes that should be addressed 
during an extended emergency situation.
  This Congress experienced a prolonged emergency situation when, in 
2001, congressional office buildings were closed from 2 weeks to 3 
months due to the threat of anthrax contamination. Congressional staff 
stayed home, or they were hastily relocated to nearby federal office 
buildings. A Congressional Research Report on congressional continuity 
of operations stated that although alternate office accommodations were 
in place, office computer and hard copy files in the closed offices, in 
many cases, were inaccessible.
  The number and types of potential emergency interruptions are unknown 
and we must be prepared, in advance of an incident, with the work 
processes and infrastructure needed to reestablish agency operations.
  In a world where anything is possible, we must be prepared for all 
the possibilities.

ACT Applauds Efforts To Ensure Continuity of Federal Operations Through 
                              Teleworking

       The Association for Commuter Transportation applauds 
     Congressman Danny Davis (D-IL) in his effort to ensure 
     continuity of Federal operations in the event of an 
     emergency, natural or manmade, by making effective use of 
     telecommuting. The legislation introduced today by 
     Congressman Davis will show that establishing effective 
     telework programs for the Federal Workforce will allow for 
     continuity of federal operations in the event of an 
     emergency.
       The events of September 11th showed us that the Federal 
     government needs to be better prepared to operate in the 
     event of an emergency. However, an act of terror is not the 
     only event that prevents the federal government from 
     operating effectively. Recent events such as the anthrax 
     incident, the tractor incident, numerous weather related 
     events, and the events surrounding the passing of former 
     President Reagan have all but shut down the National Capital 
     Region. Despite this fact, the government has a need to 
     function day to day processes even in the event of an 
     emergency.
       ACT feels that the legislation introduced today will serve 
     as a test bed on how to operate in the event of such 
     emergencies and provide a pilot for emergency preparedness in 
     the context of natural disasters in other regions as well. 
     The legislation will leave us better prepared to face the 
     next event, and will also highlight the many benefit of 
     telecommuting and will teach us what we need to do better.
       ACT urges the Government Reform Committee and the full 
     Congress to pass this legislation into law. We believe that 
     the Chairman of the Government Reform Committee, Tom Davis 
     (R-VA) is true champion of teleworking and we hope that he 
     will align himself with this legislation.
       ACT looks forward to working with Congress and with 
     Congressmen Danny Davis (D-IL) and Tom Davis (R-VA) to see 
     passage of this important bill.
       The members of ACT represent a broad coalition of 
     organizations--from major private-sector businesses and 
     institutions to transportation agencies--but we all have one 
     thing in common . . . We are all working cooperatively to 
     make transportation work better by making it more efficient 
     and less costly. ACT members understand that addressing the 
     nation's transportation challenges requires investment in a 
     comprehensive multi-faceted approach--not just the way we 
     build our transportation systems, but the way we use our 
     transportation system. Through programs and services that 
     enhance and promote real transportation choices, ACT members 
     and their partners are developing innovative solutions 
     designed to ensure personal mobility, maximize the 
     performance, security and safety of transportation 
     facilities.

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