Daniel Akaka: “as we consider proposals for creating a Department of Homeland Security to protect our Nation's borders and critical…”

“as we consider proposals for creating a Department of Homeland Security to protect our Nation's borders and critical infrastructure, we must not forget the 170,000 federal employees who will staff this new agency. This new department should not be used as a vehicle to advance broad changes to existing laws that would erode the rights and benefits now accorded to these federal workers. Nor should personnel decisions related to the agency be done in secret. Congress, along with employee unions and management associations, must be a part of the creation of the new department and any changes to title 5. The President's proposal for the homeland security department calls for enhanced management flexibilities in hiring, compensation, and workforce management. The challenges that such flexibilities would address are not new, and despite the belief that drastic personnel changes are needed, we should not forget that today's federal government faces many of the same workforce challenges as in the past. Real solutions for civil service reform require strong leadership from the top down and a commitment to the federal merit system and the employees it protects.”