[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 192 (Thursday, December 17, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E3033-E3034]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




AUTHORITY TO CONVERT CERTAIN OVERSEAS LIMITED APPOINTMENTS TO PERMANENT 
                              APPOINTMENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 15, 2009

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
H.R. 1517, a bipartisan bill authored by Representative Engel and the 
ranking member on the Committee of Homeland Security, Representative 
King.
  As chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, I am grateful to 
these members for putting before us today a bill that aims to fix a 
discrete but important issue at Customs and Border Protection.
  In short, this bill gives the Commissioner the authority to 
noncompetitively convert approximately 35 overseas CBP employees into 
full-time permanent civil service positions.
  These employees were originally hired by the Immigration and 
Naturalization Service under ``limited overseas appointment'' authority 
between 1987 and 2003.
  Over time, the nature of their work changed, but their employment 
designation did not.
  Since 2005, CBP, the Office of Personnel Management and the 
Department of State have been trying to fix the glitch, but realize 
they need the help of Congress.
  Doing so will not only ensure that the employees continue to receive 
the appropriate benefits, but will also provide them with the 
protections they deserve as dedicated employees serving the CBP mission 
abroad.
  Further, this conversion of employment status will ensure that CBP 
and the United States honor agreements between our country and our 
foreign counterparts, such as Ireland, governing U.S. personnel 
overseas.
  Going forward, using the authorities provided to the Commissioner in 
H.R. 1517, it is my hope that the Commissioner will take the histories 
of these dedicated 35 individuals into account when applying CBP's 
rotation policy.
  In our attempt to ``right the system,'' CBP should not unduly disrupt 
the lives of these dedicated individuals, who provide a valuable 
service to this country.

[[Page E3034]]



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