Thompson,
Akaka and Durbin Introduce Legislation to
Strengthen America’s National Security Workforce
Homeland
Security Workforce Bill Provides Powerful Incentives for
Federal Workers
December 5, 2001
Washington,
DC - Governmental Affairs Committee Ranking Member Fred
Thompson (R-TN) joined Senators Daniel Akaka (D-HI) and
Richard Durbin (D-IL) today in introducing two bills detailing
a comprehensive strategy to deal with both short and long-term
deficiencies in the natural security workforce. The Homeland
Security Federal Workforce Act and the Homeland Security
Education Act seek to address specific problems in the federal
government’s ability to recruit and retain national security
professionals.
"We
have to make sure federal agencies have the talent on hand to
do the thousand daily tasks that don’t make the news but
make us safer each and every day," said Senator Thompson.
"These bills help the federal government get – and keep
– that talent."
The
Homeland Security Federal Workforce Act requires a strategic
plan that assesses the status of the federal government's
national security workforce and requires the integration of
performance plans for the national security workforce into
plans required by the Government Performance and Results Act.
In addition, the bill provides loan forgiveness, fellowships
and employee exchange programs in support of the federal
national security workforce. The Homeland Security Education
Act strengthens federal support of educational programs --
especially in math, science, and certain languages -- deemed
important to the national security workforce.
The
bills are the product of many of the recommendations made by
the Hart / Rudman Commission on National Security in the 21st
Century released earlier this year. The Commission said in its
most recent report, "The maintenance of American power in
the world depends on the quality of U.S. government personnel,
civil and military, at all levels. We must take immediate
action in the personnel area to ensure that the United States
can meet future challenges.
Senator
Thompson added, "Employing the best possible federal
workforce is a matter of national security. The federal
government’s workforce crisis is real and will remain unless
we begin to think strategically about what our needs are and
then match our most skilled people with opportunities for
development and incentives to stay."
Experts
have warned that the federal government faces immense
challenges with its workforce, specifically citing the length
of the hiring process, inability to retain employees, and an
unprecedented increase in the percentage of retirements.
Summaries
of the two bills are attached.
###
"Homeland
Security Federal Workforce Act"
Title
I: Expands the loan forgiveness program for federal employees
in areas of national security.
Allows Departments of Defense, State, Energy, and Justice as
well as the Central Intelligence Agency, Federal Emergency
Management Agency, and the National Security Agency to repay
up to $10,000 per year (up to a lifetime limit of $80,000) for
individuals who have educational debt. In exchange, they enter
into employment agreements for at least 3 years.
Title
II: Creates fellowships for graduate students to enter federal
service at national security-type agencies.
The same agencies outlined in Title I above could offer
fellowships to graduate students of mathematics, science,
engineering, or a foreign language; in return for this
assistance, recipients would agree to work for the sponsoring
agency for a period of at least 3 years. There is a twenty
percent set-aside of these fellowships for current federal
employees.
Title
III: Establishes the National Security Service Corps, which
allows federal national security agencies to conduct exchange
programs for mid-level employees.
The Corps is envisioned to be a professionally rewarding
opportunity that also has clear benefits for parent agencies.
The National Security Service Board, consisting of
representatives of the member agencies as well as the Office
of Personnel Management, will outline the specifics of the
Corps.
Title
IV: Requires agencies to address human capital needs,
particularly those that relate to national security, in their
strategic plans, performance plans, and performance reports.
"Homeland
Security Education Act"
Title
I: Subsidizes loan interest for persons who obtain
undergraduate degrees in mathematics, science, or a foreign
language.
As long as they remain in repayment status and not in default,
the Federal Government assumes the interest payments on their
educational loans.
Title
II: Directs the National Science Foundation to provide grants
to elementary and secondary schools to build or expand their
math and science curricula and to study the coordination of
such efforts with those of the Department of Education.
The Title also encourages private sector involvement through
the donation of technology tools and establishment of
internship and mentoring opportunities for math and science
students.
Title
III: Promotes foreign language education by developing grant
programs for all educational levels (elementary school through
university).
University level programs include math and science studies
that are taught in conjunction with, or are conducted entirely
in, a foreign language. The bill also authorizes a National
Flagship Language Initiative, which awards grants to
universities producing graduates in critical language areas. |