On the recordFebruary 15, 2011
I am pleased to be a cosponsor of the amendment of Senator Wicker to provide additional workforce protections for Transportation Security Officers while at the same time ensuring the management flexibility that is vital to the operational efficiency of the TSA, and thus the security of the American people. Instead of dramatically changing the TSA personnel system in a way that could interfere with TSA's ability to carry out its essential mission, as the administration plans, we should, instead, make some targeted but important reforms in the system to ensure that TSA employees are treated fairly. First, we should bring TSA employees under the Whistleblower Protection Act, which safeguards the rights of whistleblowers throughout the Federal Government. Second, we should give TSA workers the right to an independent appeal of adverse personnel actions--for example, a demotion would qualify. What we are proposing is that a TSA employee so affected would be able to appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board. Third, we should make clear that TSA members can, in fact, join a union.
