Hearing of the Oversight and Management Efficiency Subcommittee of the House Homeland Security Committee - Opening Statement of Rep. Thompson, Hearing on Employee Misconduct: How can FEMA Improve Integrity of its Workforce

Hearing

I want to begin my remarks by expressing my appreciation to the men and women of
FEMA for the incredible work they do on behalf of our Nation. Secretary Kelly has
stated that the men and women of DHS, which includes FEMA, are exceptional and
dedicated professionals.
Unfortunately, there are some--including the President of the United States--that fail
appreciate the service and commitment of the federal employee. President Trump has
made it clear through budget cuts and hiring freezes that he does not understand the
critically important work of FEMA and other agencies across our government.
Today, my colleagues across the aisle are perpetuating this lack of understanding by
asserting that the FEMA workforce has an integrity problem, ostensibly based on a
recent GAO report. However, my reading of the report does not support such an
inference.
Instead, the report states that FEMA needs to do a better job of documenting and
communicating policies related to how misconduct is handled at FEMA. I certainly
agree with GAO's conclusion that clearly documented policies and procedures for all
FEMA workers are necessary, and I look forward to the agency carrying out GAO's
recommendations. I also hope to engage with GAO today on their findings.
I also expect to confirm that the overwhelming majority of FEMA employees are
dedicated public servants who carry out the agency's mission with integrity, showing
up at locations across the country with little notice in some of the most stressful and
dangerous environments possible. Supporting the workforce and focusing on
improving morale should be a top priority of this Committee.
That is why this Congress I have introduced legislation, co-sponsored by every
Democratic member of this Committee, to support morale among the DHS workforce
by establishing a Chief Learning and Engagement Officer, an Employee Engagement
Steering Committee, and the Secretary's Employee Award Program at the
Department.
These are the areas that help improve morale and employee engagement and help
move the FEMA workforce in the right direction. Indeed, studies show that effective
leadership is the number one determinate of employee satisfaction and is therefore
integral to the productivity and efficiency of an agency.
I encourage my colleagues to realize that better training, fair policies, and recognition
of good work are ways to improve the FEMA workforce. I hope on this Committee we
can work on a bipartisan basis to do just that.

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