[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 127 (Friday, August 3, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1729]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 1, IMPLEMENTING RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE 9/11 
                         COMMISSION ACT OF 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 27, 2007

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker while I commend the work on 
H.R. 1, I rise today to express my disappointment that the provision to 
afford our Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) the collective 
bargaining rights and whistleblower protections they deserve is 
excluded from the Conference Report. Mr. Speaker, our TSOs are not 
second class citizens and should not be treated as such.
  In 2001, when the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) was 
created, Congress vested power to set TSO compensation, leave, and 
other basic employment rights with the Secretary of Transportation. 
When TSA was moved to the Department of Homeland Security, this 
authority remained. While this authority was helpful in getting TSA up 
and running, the TSOs now need to be treated like all other TSA 
employees--fairly and equitably. This provision would have restored the 
labor rights of approximately 43,000 TSOs and provide them with 
veterans' preference, anti-discrimination protections, retirement, 
whistle-blowing, and collective-bargaining rights.
  Restoring basic employment rights is critical to recruiting and 
retaining TSOs. We do not need to look far to see what low morale can 
do to the health, recruitment, and retention of the Department of 
Homeland Security workforce. According to a GAO report released this 
month, TSOs account for approximately a third of the total workforce 
and their attrition rates are higher than normal for the federal 
government. It is unfortunate that we are failing to provide the most 
basic labor protections to our front line workers who perform an 
important job and work to keep us all safe; rights that are afforded to 
thousands of workers in the federal government.
  I commit to my colleagues today that as Chairman of the Committee on 
Homeland Security I will continue to work to ensure that our TSOs are 
afforded the rights and protections they deserve.
  Additionally, the following individuals did a service to our nation 
in helping the Conference develop legislation to make America more 
secure: Michael Stroud, Denise Krepp, Veronique Pluviose-Fenton, Alison 
Rosso, Jacob Olcott, Chris Beck, Matt Washington, Jeff Greene, Erin 
Murphy, Michael Beland, Erin Daste, Tamla Scott, Tyrik McKeiver, 
Stephan Vina, Diane Bean, Brian Turbyfill, and Angela Rye.

  Lastly, I would like to acknowledge that a lot of staff work went 
into getting us here today, and I would like to especially thank: My 
staff director, Jessica Herrera-Flanigan; and my chief counsel, 
Rosaline Cohen, as well as her predecessor, Todd Gee.
  I don't mean to brag but I believe I have the best and most diverse 
professional staff on the Hill. A few of them are here with me on the 
floor. I also would like to acknowledge: the Committee's very able 
clerk, Michael Twinchek; Ranking Member King's staff--most especially 
Rob O'Connor and Michael Power; the folks at Legislative Counsel that 
brought it all together--Hank Savage and Hadley Ross; Mike Sheehy and 
Jerry Hartz with the Speaker's office; and Rob Cogorno and Mariah 
Sixkiller with the Leader.

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