Conference Report on H.R. 1, Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007

Floor Speech

CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 1, IMPLEMENTING RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE 9/11 COMMISSION ACT OF 2007 -- (Extensions of Remarks - August 03, 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 Vin 0a, 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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