Bennie Thompson: “I also applaud the Biden administration for the steps it has taken on its own over the last year to expand employees'…”

“I also applaud the Biden administration for the steps it has taken on its own over the last year to expand employees' access to the Merit Systems Protection Board and explore expanded collective bargaining and increased pay for the workforce. About a year ago, the Secretary of Homeland Security released a memo that instructed the TSA Administrator to make progress on improving pay, collective bargaining, and third-party appeals rights. Laudably, the President's budget for fiscal year 2023 includes a historic proposal to invest in the TSA workforce in these ways. But critically, crucially, these changes would only apply to the coming fiscal year. That is why it is so essential to pass H.R. 903 so that future administrations cannot turn back the clock on these frontline aviation security workers. We all know that the nature of an investment is that you have to put some money in upfront and see the returns later. Unlike a typical investment, however, we already have a snapshot into the financial benefit this legislation would yield to workers. Earlier this year, TSA shared with us that the passage of H.R. 903 would result in a 30 percent salary increase for the entire TSO workforce and a 21 percent increase for Federal air marshals and other law enforcement officers within the agency, bringing them in line with their peers doing similar work at other agencies. That is astounding, Mr.…”