Dianne Feinstein: “I rise to reaffirm my overall support for a Department of Homeland Security. And I remain convinced that it is still…”

“I rise to reaffirm my overall support for a Department of Homeland Security. And I remain convinced that it is still possible to reach a consensus on this critical issue, and that we must strive to do so before the end of this session. However, after giving this matter a great deal of thought, I must stand in opposition to the provisions in the Gramm-Miller bill that would strip many of the protections afforded to employees of the new Department. As it stands, the bill's language would take away rights from some 200,000 Federal employees, rights that have been available for decades to most of the Federal workforce. None of us dispute that any organization, particularly one entrusted with such a vital mission as homeland security, can function properly only if its managers have the authority both to offer incentives to talented employees and to fire negligent or ineffective employees. And despite a great deal of rhetoric to the contrary, such flexibility already exists under the current labor provisions that govern the Federal workforce.”