Thank you Madam Chairman.
Admiral Loy, you come before this Committee with high recommendations from two colleagues whose opinions I respect tremendously – my good friends Senator Inouye and Senator Stevens. I thank you all for being here this afternoon.
Admiral Loy, as Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration and the former Commandant of the Coast Guard, you have served your country well. You understand firsthand the unique challenges faced by the Department of Homeland Security.
To be effective, policies within the Department must address the specific homeland security needs of each state and municipality. The state of Hawaii is over 2,500 miles from Los Angeles and is accessible only by plane or ship. It takes five and a half hours to fly from the mainland and four and a half days by sea. This distance makes mutual aid from mainland states or from other Pacific jurisdictions unfeasible.
Hawaii is home to 53,600 military personnel and hosts about 160,000 tourists on any given day. I have joined with Senator Collins to ensure that first responder funding covers all who reside in a state, including military and tourist populations. I look forward to working with you to ensure that this priority is addressed in first responder allocations.
As the head of TSA, you serve on the DHS Human Resource System Design Team, which has forwarded its recommendation for a new personnel system to DHS Secretary Ridge and OPM Director James. I expect you to foster an environment of inclusion that brings together the different talents of federal workers and the different cultures of agencies included in this Department.
As we protect America by reorganizing the federal government, we cannot overlook the fundamental rights of federal employees. Union representation, collective bargaining, appeal rights, and whistleblower protections are all critical elements of a strong and stable workforce. The rights of federal workers complement our ability to safeguard the country.
Our goal is to protect the nation. The key to attaining this goal is skilled and highly motivated employees and capable leadership. If the imposition of a new personnel system results in a demoralized workforce and accelerated retirement by skilled workers, then the question needs to be asked – is our nation's security at risk?
There will soon be new personnel systems for the largest federal agency, the Department of Defense, and the third largest, the Department of Homeland Security, which will bring massive changes to those personnel essential to our national security. Any changes have to be looked at more seriously, and I want your commitment to work with me to ensure that we protect the rights and benefits of our federal workforce.
Much of the debate has focused on union rights. I, for one, believe that a modern and agile workforce is not incompatible with collective bargaining.
Admiral Loy, you have an immense task before you. I commend you for accepting the responsibilities of this position, and I know you will continue to make a tremendous contribution to protecting the people of our great country.
