Bonnie Watson Coleman: “I want to thank the gentleman for yielding to me, and I want to thank him for this leadership on this very important…”

“I want to thank the gentleman for yielding to me, and I want to thank him for this leadership on this very important issue. I join him in calling for support and passage of the Transportation Security Officers Act. We rely on Transportation Security officers to keep us safe. They work hard, including going without pay for more than 5 weeks during the last government shutdown. Yet these TSOs have none of the rights or the protections we have set for the rest of the Federal workforce, and that is what this bill would finally correct. H.R. 1140 offers TSOs the ability to organize themselves and fight for better pay through collective bargaining and puts them on the Federal general schedule pay scale, ensuring they see the same regular step increases as the rest of the Federal workers who keep our government running. It would ensure TSOs can appeal personnel decisions to a neutral third party--something their managers and others within TSA can already do. It would give these workers the paid family leave and medical leave that all other Federal workers now have, ensuring they can care for an ailing parent, be home with a new baby, or deal with a new diagnosis. H.R. 1140 finally gives TSOs equal footing, recognizing that they are equally valued members of the Federal workforce--people we rely upon daily to keep our skies safe. I am grateful to our chairman, Mr.…”