Authority To Convert Certain Overseas Limited Appointments To Permanent Appointments
Floor Speech
AUTHORITY TO CONVERT CERTAIN OVERSEAS LIMITED APPOINTMENTS TO PERMANENT APPOINTMENTS -- (House of Representatives - December 15, 2009)
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Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1517 to correct the hiring status of approximately 30 Customs and Border Protection officers stationed overseas under the wrong hiring appointments.
I appreciate the opportunity to stand in support of this legislation in the place of Ranking Member Peter King, the Republican sponsor of the bill.
H.R. 1517 grants special authority to the Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection to noncompetitively convert about 30 CBP employees mistakenly hired under an overseas limited deployment to permanent status stationed at the overseas pre-inspection posts.
CBP operates pre-clearance stations at 15 foreign airports where travelers to the U.S. are able to undergo entry inspections before boarding their planes. This initiative facilitates travel while adding an important security benefit.
Unfortunately, this hiring error, if not addressed, could force these employees to transition into locally hired staff, much like Foreign Service nationals at embassies, or to return to the United States and compete for domestic CBP positions. Through no fault of their own these employees are now facing the problems with their employment status due to a mistake made years ago when they were initially hired. The Congressional Budget Office analysis shows no significant impact from this legislation, as these are existing employees who only need a category adjustment to their employment records.
I would like to highlight and express appreciation for the bipartisan manner in which this legislation was developed. Congressman Engel and Ranking Member King worked together to develop this bill, and both Chairwoman Sanchez and Chairman Thompson sponsored this bill as it moved unanimously through our committee.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
I reserve the balance of my time.
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