Sheila Jackson Lee: “I thank the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon), a member of the Rules Committee, for her leadership. I thank…”

“I thank the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon), a member of the Rules Committee, for her leadership. I thank the minority's representative, as well. Mr. Speaker, I rise to enthusiastically support H.R. 1140. I am very proud to be an enthusiastic cosponsor of this legislation and to explain to my colleagues and the American people how we started the Committee on Homeland Security, as a founding member, if you will, being here during the heinous terrorist acts of 9/ 11 and knowing that the Nation needed to put together quickly a Homeland Security Department, second in size to the Department of Defense, I believe. We organized the Transportation Security Administration fast and in a way that the Administrator would, really, have all powers--all powers. In doing so, we failed to give them Federal civil service protection. So, this legislation is legislation that is crucial because the TSA workforce is among the lowest paid in the Federal Government and lacks basic workplace protection afforded to most other government workers. As a result, TSA struggles with low morale and high attrition. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1140, the Rights for Transportation Security Officers Act of 2020, is nothing that has been previously described-- nothing like that. It is an opportunity to maintain a professional force of individuals who every day protect Americans.…”