[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 116 (Thursday, July 14, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E734-E735]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 13, 2022

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of En 
Bloc No. 4, which contains a number of provisions that the Committee on 
Homeland Security has advanced in a bipartisan manner.
  I am pleased that it includes Amendment No. 390 that contains the 
text of H.R. 903, the Rights for the TSA Workforce Act of 2022, as 
passed by the House in May.
  Under TSA's current personnel system, the agency regularly ranks at, 
or near, the bottom of the annual Federal employee satisfaction surveys 
and suffers from high attrition.
  The most recent Inspector General analysis of employee turnover 
revealed that in a single year, TSA spent roughly $16 million on hiring 
and training nearly 2,000 people who left just months after they got 
the job.
  Such costly and disruptive turnover risks hampering security 
operations and must be addressed meaningfully.
  My amendment seeks to attract and retain a mature and stable 
workforce within TSA by placing the agency under the Federal personnel 
system set forth in title 5 of the U.S. Code.
  Getting the TSA workforce under the personnel system under which most 
other Federal employees operate has been a priority for many of us for 
decades. The unprecedented support by the Biden administration has 
significantly improved prospects for getting this done. And this 
amendment's inclusion in the NDAA provides an opportunity to engage 
with our Senate partners in a timely way.
  Additionally, I am pleased that En Bloc No. 4 includes Amendment No. 
420 that I filed with Rep. John Katko of New York, the Ranking Member 
of the Committee on Homeland Security. It contains the text of 25 
bipartisan homeland security measures that the House had previously 
approved.
  These measures would strengthen community security, improve 
Department of Homeland Security acquisitions and supply chains, and 
enhance DHS operations. The bipartisan amendment includes provisions to 
increase funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program from $75 
million to $500 million for each fiscal year through 2028, reform the 
way DHS procures uniforms issued to Department frontline personnel by 
encouraging the procurement of domestically sourced items by U.S. small 
businesses, reauthorize the U.S. Secret Service's National Computer 
Forensics Institute, authorize a one-stop screening process for certain 
arriving international travelers, and authorize grants to carry out the 
Cybersecurity Education and Training Assistance Program, or CETAP--a 
program to strengthen K-12 cybersecurity education.
  I am also pleased that the en bloc includes a measure (Amendment No. 
526) authored by Rep. Al Green of Texas to bolster the authorities and 
operations of the Department's Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Office.
  Finally, I am delighted to have the support of Rep. Peter DeFazio of 
Oregon, the Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure

[[Page E735]]

Committee, on Amendment No. 441, which is also included in the en bloc 
package and seeks to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency in 
its efforts to instill equity as a foundation of emergency management. 
Studies have found that low-income communities, rural areas, racial 
minorities, tribes, individuals with disabilities, seniors, and 
children are all more likely to experience the most devastating impacts 
of disasters. Yet, many in these communities and groups face an uphill 
battle to navigate the complicated Federal assistance processes. With 
hurricane season underway and wildfires wreaking havoc on communities 
big and small, passage of my amendment is very timely.
  I thank Committee on Armed Services Chairman Adam Smith of Washington 
and his staff for their partnership with me and my staff throughout 
this entire process. Looking ahead, I am eager to work with the Senate 
to get these important provisions in the final NDAA package and on the 
President's desk.

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