[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 26 (Monday, February 12, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H1426-H1430]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING AND HONORING THE EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
Mr. CARNEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 134) recognizing and honoring the employees of the
Department of Homeland Security for their efforts and contributions to
protect and secure the Nation.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 134
Whereas the United States must remain vigilant against all
threats to the homeland, including acts of terrorism, natural
disasters, and other emergencies;
Whereas the Department of Homeland Security marked its 4th
anniversary on January 24, 2007;
Whereas the more than 208,000 employees of the Department
work tirelessly to prepare the Nation to counter acts of
terrorism, natural disasters, and other emergencies;
Whereas the Department's employees work diligently to
deter, detect, and prevent acts of terrorism;
Whereas the Department's employees stand willing, ready,
and able to respond if catastrophe strikes;
Whereas the Department's employees support the Department's
mission to protect continuously the Nation's borders,
airports, seaports, rail lines, and other transit systems;
Whereas the Department's employees, together with employees
of other agencies and departments of the Federal Government,
work with State, local, and tribal partners to enhance
disaster preparedness at all levels of government;
Whereas the Department's employees are called upon to
sacrifice time with their families to work long hours to
fulfill the Department's vital mission; and
Whereas the Nation is indebted to the Department's
employees for their efforts and contributions: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes and
honors the employees of the Department of Homeland Security
for their exceptional efforts and contributions to protect
and secure the Nation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Carney) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr.
Bilirakis) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
[[Page H1427]]
General Leave
Mr. CARNEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
on this legislation and insert extraneous material on the bill into the
Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
There was no objection.
Mr. CARNEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Just over 5 years ago, September 11 redefined our national security
needs. With the loss of thousands of innocent lives at the World Trade
Center, the Pentagon and in my home State of Pennsylvania, national
leaders realized that the Federal Government needed the ability to
better protect the United States from any and all threats, foreign or
domestic, natural or man-made. And while emergency management agencies
displayed resilience in the aftermath of 9/11, it was clear we needed
an organization that could coordinate their efforts. We needed a single
agency with the ability to prevent another 9/11 and to respond, if need
be, to natural or man-made disasters.
To answer this call, Congress passed the Homeland Security Act of
2002 creating the Department of Homeland Security. In the largest
reorganization of the Federal Government since the formation of the
Department of Defense six decades ago, the Department of Homeland
Security was tasked with the Herculean responsibility of coordinating
with State, local and tribal entities to prevent future terrorist
attacks, to secure our borders and to prepare for and respond to events
of national significance.
Comprised of 22 different Federal agencies and employing over 208,000
of our finest Federal employees, DHS has become one of the largest
Federal departments. Twenty-four hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a
year, employees from the Department of Homeland Security are working to
prevent and prepare for any threats to our country. They are patrolling
our skies, securing our borders, sailing our coastal waters and
screening people and cargo entering our country. They are also working
with State and local governments and first responders in all 50 States
and our territories to ensure we can respond to any future large-scale
events, either man-made or natural.
{time} 1415
These dedicated Homeland Security employees are working tirelessly to
improve the safety of all Americans and are doing a job that we must
commend.
Recently, the Office of Personnel Management released the results of
the 2006 Federal Human Capital Survey, a review of how Federal
employees feel about their work. Many Americans may not have heard
about this survey or its findings, but they are significant.
DHS employees expressed frustration over a number of issues, most
notably the management of the agency. These rank-and-file workers, on
the front lines day after day, feel they are not being managed in the
most effective manner possible. This disconnect between management and
the line officers of the department is very disturbing to a number of
us here in Congress. We must work to resolve these issues.
The last thing we need is for the morale problems of the Department
of Homeland Security to hamper the duties of those front-line
employees. As a former first responder myself, I know how important it
is to have trust and faith in your management. While there was
certainly shocking failures at the management levels of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency in the Hurricane Katrina response, there is
a good example; that is, the United States Coast Guard which is part of
the DHS. It covered itself in glory by performing one of its most vital
and successful missions since its creation. Over 20,000 gulf coast
residents were rescued by the devoted men and women of the Coast Guard.
Tens of thousands of other line officers under the purview of the DHS
have been doing a thankless job for the last 4 years as well. Our
Nation must remain vigilant against all threats to the homeland,
against acts of terrorism and natural disasters.
Department of Homeland Security employees stand willing, ready and
able to respond should catastrophe strike. They work long hours to
deter, detect, and prevent acts of terrorism against the homeland. They
can be sure that during this Congress and beyond, my colleagues and I
will maintain oversight of the management of Homeland Security, but I
cannot stress enough how we truly appreciate the work of the DHS
employees who are working tirelessly to protect the safety of all
Americans.
On January 24, the Department of Homeland Security marked its fourth
anniversary. In light of this anniversary, it is fitting and
appropriate for the House of Representatives to take a moment to honor
the employees.
I would also like to take a moment to note that Mr. Rogers of
Alabama, the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Management,
Investigations, and Oversight, wanted to be here as well. He is
currently out of town on a codel, but he stands with me in honoring the
employees of the Department of Homeland Security.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to unanimously adopt House
Resolution 134 in honoring the employees of the Department of Homeland
Security.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise today in support of House Resolution 134, which honors and
recognizes the contributions the employees of the Department of
Homeland Security make to our country's safety and security.
I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of this resolution with my
Homeland Security colleague, Christopher Carney, who chairs the
Management, Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee. I also want to
acknowledge other original cosponsors, including my subcommittee
ranking member, Mike Rogers, full committee chairman Bennie Thompson,
and full committee ranking member Peter King, a man who has worked on
Homeland Security issues, and I greatly admire his work.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to help bring this resolution to the floor
today because I think that DHS employees are too often overlooked and
underappreciated, and unfairly criticized in most cases despite their
most dedicated and earnest efforts to do their job, which they do very
well.
Mr. Speaker, I believe that they have been tasked with an almost
impossible job, I think you will agree, and am confident that DHS
employees are doing the very best they can under some extraordinary,
difficult circumstances.
I was, however, particularly disappointed to learn, as the recent
survey shows, that the morale of the department is low, and that DHS
employees have less job satisfaction than any other group of Federal
employees. That is not good to see. I have heard that the department's
employees are concerned that they do not have the resources to do their
jobs effectively, that they are not promoted based on merit, that
creativity and innovation are not properly rewarded, and, perhaps most
troubling, most of them do not believe that they have access to
adequate information about what is happening in their department.
This needs to change, as far as I am concerned. I am heartened that
department secretary, Michael Jackson, has told DHS employees,
``Starting at the top, the leadership team across DHS is committed to
address the underlying reason for DHS employee dissatisfaction and
suggestions for improvement.''
I also commend DHS Secretary, Michael Chertoff, in comments before
our committee last week for acknowledging the problem and promising to
fix it. I believe it is imperative to the security of our homeland that
the dedicated men and women who carry out the directives and policies
that Congress puts forward feel good about themselves and the jobs that
they are doing so they can best achieve the very noble goals toward
which they are working.
It should be proud of the work the more than 200,000 employees at DHS
work tirelessly to help prevent and respond to acts of terrorism,
natural disasters and other emergencies. I think Secretary Chertoff's
directive to the Homeland Security Advisory Council to establish a
culture task force to respond on ways to empower, energize,
[[Page H1428]]
and create a more mission-focused culture within DHS and among its
Federal, State and local partners was a good first step.
I would say, however, that the answers lie not in creating more
bureaucracy but in streamlining and better defining the mission of DHS
headquarters and allowing its component organizations to use their
particular talents and expertise to accomplish their individual mission
in as efficient, creative, and innovative manner as possible.
I also believe we must acknowledge the role that Congress has played
and will continue to play in the ultimate success or failure of the
department in accomplishing its mission of defending America and saving
lives. We in this body must be sensitive to the demands and mandates
that we place on DHS employees in the conduct of the war.
I think we can all agree that an overwhelming majority of DHS
employees are hardworking, as I said. They are dedicated and
hardworking individuals who are personally committed to keeping us, our
families, our country secure from terrorist attacks and other disasters
that could befall this great Nation.
We must remember, however, that decentralized congressional
jurisdiction over Homeland Security issues and the desire to provide
proper oversight often makes it difficult for them to do their job. I
hope that, especially as members of the Homeland Security Committee, we
do not unintentionally make their jobs more difficult in our desire to
do our jobs.
I want to thank full committee chairman Bennie Thompson, ranking
member Peter King, subcommittee chairman Chris Carney, and subcommittee
ranking member Mike Rogers for bringing this resolution to the floor
today.
I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution and recognize
the contributions DHS employees make to protect and secure our Nation.
They should know that we understand the daily challenges they face and
appreciate the dedication and hard work, the professionalism which they
embody, and they conduct themselves in a fine manner.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CARNEY. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Reichert).
Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Committee on Homeland
Security, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 134. This resolution
recognizes and honors the employees of the Department of Homeland
Security for their exceptional efforts and contributions to protect and
secure the Nation.
Since the creation of the Department of Homeland Security 4 years
ago, the department has made significant steps in ensuring the safety
of the American people, specifically with regard to preparing,
equipping and training our first responders, protecting our skies, and
securing our borders and ports.
In my home State of Washington, we have almost 2,000 people working
for the Department of Homeland Security, including 178 members of the
Coast Guard, 337 Immigration employees and Custom Enforcement officers,
and 1,282 Transportation Security Administration employees. Many of
these men and women put their lives on the line every day to ensure
that another 9/11 attack does not occur.
In addition to protecting us from another terrorist attack, the
Department of Homeland Security employees thwart human smuggling
networks and disrupt the international drug trade. An example of these
efforts is in 2005 a discovery of a tunnel between the United States
and Canada that would have been used to smuggle drugs into the United
States.
Mr. Speaker, it is easy to come to this floor and come together in a
bipartisan way and pass a resolution to say that we support the men and
women who work in the Department of Homeland Security. It is easy to
talk about morale. It is easy to criticize the men and women who
protect our children, protect our neighbors and protect our communities
and are out there every day. We need to show by action.
We need to support them in our legislation that we pass that provides
them with the tools and the resources they need to do their job. I was
in law enforcement 33 years in the Seattle area. I know that when I
made a life-and-death decision, I had the support of my administration,
I had the support of my leadership.
Our men and women who work for the Department of Homeland Security
need a strong leadership. And our strong leadership can be supported by
people right here in this body, by supporting them again with their
resources and the tools that they need.
Mr. Speaker, the employees of the Department of Homeland Security
have a tough job, a very tough job. They not only need our strong words
of support here today, and the support that we bring with our vote in
supporting this resolution, but they need our respect, and our
admiration each and every day as they are out there protecting our
country, our children, and the future of our grandchildren.
Mr. CARNEY. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such 3 minutes to the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Poe).
Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, I too support the efforts of the men and women
who work in Homeland Security. As a former judge in Texas for over 20
years, I appreciate all of those in our country who are in law
enforcement. But I was disappointed and concerned to hear that this
department who is tasked with protecting our Nation's borders, ports,
and other critical infrastructure is ranked dead last in employee
attitude and morale of all 36 Federal departments surveyed.
To me it reflects the poor and often ambiguous leadership and
policies at the top of the department, and I hope Congress can work
together to correct this and correct it soon before someone does harm
to our Nation.
Mr. Speaker, let me provide a couple of absurd examples of maybe the
reason why those who are working at the Department of Homeland Security
are so frustrated. Three years ago this Saturday, a couple of our
border agents witnessed a drug smuggler illegally entering our country,
bringing a million dollars worth of drugs.
They order the perpetrator to stop, he doesn't, the agents pursue the
suspect, a scuffle ensues and shots are fired. Mr. Speaker, a different
kind of environment exists on our Nation's border in the fight against
drug smugglers, human traffickers, and terrorists. These two border
agents, Ramos and Compean entered the Border Patrol and were trained
with the sole duty of protecting Americans, you and me, and the
sovereignty of this country.
Well, Mr. Speaker, these agents were not commended for their actions
in preventing what turned out to be 700 pounds of marijuana from
reaching the streets of America. No, they were prosecuted for it,
convicted, and now sit in Federal prison for a decade for doing what
they felt like was the right thing to do.
Our Federal Government made a deal with the drug smuggler, a back-
room deal and let him loose to go after the border agents. No wonder
there is low morale. You see, it is a violation of Border Patrol
regulations to go after someone who is fleeing. The Border Patrol
pursuit policy is unrealistic by prohibiting the pursuit of someone.
This is ridiculous.
Also border agents cannot fire their weapon unless they are fired
upon first. This is absurd. Now, some old Texas Ranger once said, No
lawman should have to take a bullet before he can use his weapon. When
border agents are approached by illegals carrying automatic weapons,
they should not have to run away and retreat or be fired at before they
stop the intrusion.
{time} 1430
I guess this rule was conjured up by some bureaucrat up here in
Washington, DC that has never been to the southern border, maybe
conjured up for some political reasons.
Mr. Speaker, when we ask the border agents to protect the lawless and
violent southern border, we need to give them clear rules of engagement
to prevent the invasion into our Nation. We need to support them, and
we need to let them know that Congress will support their actions.
Mr. CARNEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green).
[[Page H1429]]
Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Thank you, Congressman Carney, for bringing
this important piece of legislation before the House.
Today, friends, we will honor and we will respect the fourth
anniversary of the Department of Homeland Security. In so doing, we
understand that it has been a rocky 4 years, but the importance of this
mission of Homeland Security has only grown.
We must never forget the crucial mission of the Department of
Homeland Security and that it cannot be fulfilled without the people
who make up the Department of Homeland Security.
While there have been some difficult times, it is time for us to
acknowledge that there are some good people working in the Department
of Homeland Security. These people are heroes who work day and night
keeping our country safe. They sacrifice their time. They are often
away from their families, and they do a thankless job too often. So we
are here today to say thank you, not only to those who are in the lofty
offices and who hold high positions, but we are also here today to say
thank you to those who sweep the floors, those who file the paperwork,
those who answer the phones, those who are making a difference in the
lives of Americans by making sure that while we are on their watch we
are protected.
I want you to know that while the Department came in dead last with
reference to job satisfaction for Federal employees, according to a
recent OPM survey, and we know that this is unacceptable, they were
dead last; but I believe that they can improve. I believe that they
will do better. And I want to share my optimism because the Department
of Homeland Security is a Department that every one of us is depending
on who lives in the homeland. So the leadership in this Department must
do better.
Congress today, I believe, stands with the rank and file employees of
this Department, and we want everyone to do better, and we are here to
support all of those many employees who are working hard for us.
So I ask today that my colleagues join me in supporting and in
embracing this resolution for the Department of Homeland Security. They
are making a difference in our lives.
The Department recently saw its fourth anniversary. It has been a
rocky 4 years, but the importance of its mission has only grown.
We must never forget that the crucial mission of the Department
cannot be fulfilled without the people who make it up. .
These heroes work day and night keeping our country safe, sacrificing
time with their families, doing often thankless jobs. We are here today
to thank them.
The Department came in last in the recent OPM survey of job
satisfaction of Federal employees. This is unacceptable. The
Department's leadership must do better; it must listen to the people on
the front lines.
Congress stands with these rank-and-file employees. We will do our
part to see that the Department does better by them.
We have criticized the Department's management and decisions in the
past, but no one should mistake this for criticism of the men and women
on the front lines, day after day.
Please join me in honoring these everyday heroes.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to be
here today to honor the employees of the Department of Homeland
Security. Four years ago the Department came into being with the
crucial mission of protecting and securing our homeland.
It has been a tough 4 years, and the importance of this mission has
only grown with time. If you watch the news, you hear all the acronyms
for the different parts of the Department--DHS, CBP, FEMA, ICE, FPS,
TSA, and the list goes on.
I fear that this alphabet soup may hide the faces of the people who
make up the many pieces of the Department. But the vital mission of
these different components cannot be fulfilled without the people who
make them up. For example, the U.S. Secret Service does not protect the
President--Secret Service Agents protect the President. United States
Customs and Border Protection does not protect our ports of entry,
Customs and Border Protection officers do that.
The Border Patrol does not guard our border, Border Patrol Agents
guard the border. The Coast Guard does not watch our shores and rescue
our citizens, Coast Guard men and women do. I could go on, but the
point is the same: It is not the ``Department'' that gives up family
time to help secure our Nation. It is not the ``Department'' that works
nights, weekends, and holidays. It is not the ``Department'' that puts
its life on the line. It is the people of the Department who make these
sacrifices.
Let's not forget that these everyday heroes I just mentioned can't do
their jobs without the support personnel in their agencies and
Directorates--the contracting officers, administrative assistants,
technical support teams, financial managers, and many more. While these
folks don't always get the best support and guidance from their
management, that in no way diminishes their efforts and sacrifices. It
pained me to see the recent Office of Personnel Management survey, in
which the Department ranks last in terms of job satisfaction. For the
sake of its employees--and for the security of our Nation--the
Department's management must do better. I have been critical of the
Department's management and some of its decisions in the past, and I'm
sure I will be in the future. But no one should mistake my occasional
criticism of the way this Department has been run with criticism for
the fine men and women who are on the front lines, day after day. I
pledge to the employees of the Department that the Committee on
Homeland Security will not ignore this problem. We will do our part to
see that things improve. We will work with the management of the
Department when we can--but we will also give them a gentle push in the
right direction when we need to. As Chairman of the Committee on
Homeland Security, it is an honor for me to stand here today in support
of this resolution. This Nation must never forget the lessons of 9/11
and Katrina. And it must never take for granted the men and women who
go out every day with one purpose: to do their best, in ways small and
large, to keep us all safe. I urge all the Members of the House to join
me in honoring these everyday heroes.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.
Res. 134, to recognize the employees of the Department of Homeland
Security for their efforts and contributions to protect and secure the
Nation.
The Department of Homeland Security is critical in ensuring our great
nation's preparation for future terrorist threats and attacks. Its
employees step beyond the ordinary call of duty and tirelessly help to
prepare our Nation to counter acts of terrorism, natural disasters, and
other emergencies.
After the events of September 11, 2001 the American people became
painfully aware of the difference between feeling secure and actually
being secure. The president responded to the need for development and
implementation of a comprehensive national strategy to secure the U.S.
from terrorist threats or attacks and thus on November 25, 2002 with
the largest government reorganization in 50 years, DHS was established.
More than 208,000 employees of the Department work with state, local
and tribal partners to ensure disaster preparedness at all levels of
government while sacrificing their invaluable time with their family
and working long hours to stand willing, able, and ready to respond if
catastrophe strikes.
The Homeland Security Department's employees not only stand vigilant
and steadfast against terrorist attacks but fulfill the mission of the
department to protect continuously our Nation's borders, airport,
seaports, rail lines, and other transit systems.
While it is fitting and appropriate to recognize the contributions of
DHS employees, Mr. Speaker, it is also necessary to recognize that this
Administration continues to deny labor rights to some of the most vital
workers in the Transportation Security Administration--the TSA
Screeners. Hiding behind the argument and the rhetoric that it needs a
flexible security screening force, the Bush Administration continues to
equate basic collective bargaining rights with a lack of patriotism.
That is, the Administration is operating under the mistaken belief that
allowing employees to collectively bargain for rights that others at
DHS have will negatively impact homeland security. This is simply
untrue.
If the Administration's argument were true, then this means that the
law enforcement officers at the Border Patrol, Customs and Border
Protection, and the Federal Protective Services are all negatively
impacting homeland security--since these brave men and women have
collective bargaining rights. And, despite having these rights, these
folks are part of a flexible and highly sought after human resource,
just like the TSA Screeners. So, as we honor all DHS employees, Mr.
Speaker, let us not forget that we must do more to make DHS a fair and
equitable place to work.
I thank Congressmen Carney and Bilirakis for managing this important
bipartisan legislation and I strongly urge my colleagues to stand
together to commend, applaud and commemorate the employees of the DHS.
Their important duties extend beyond the ordinary. They protect our
homeland and our people.
DHS employees have sacrificed and worked tirelessly to safely protect
us not only from terrorist attacks but our borders as well as our
airports, seaports, rail lines, and other transit systems. For this,
they deserve our gratitude.
[[Page H1430]]
Mr. CARNEY. Mr. Speaker, I would inquire as to whether the gentleman
from Florida has any more speakers.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I do not.
Mr. CARNEY. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``aye'' on
House Resolution 134.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Carney) that the House suspend the
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 134.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. CARNEY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this question will
be postponed.
____________________