DHS employment would be boosted in a variety of functions under a proposal (HR-4780) from the ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.
It would add 2,000 CBP officers and 600 agriculture specialists over two years at U.S. international airports, while expanding overseas operations; increase the number of Visa Security Program units to 50 additional visa-issuing posts abroad in which ICE agents engage with foreign and U.S. law enforcement agencies; and require DHS to develop a comprehensive strategy for its international programs.
Meanwhile, the AFGE union, which represents most TSA screeners and associated employees, has called inadequate the agency’s recently announced funding shift enabling it to hire about 800 additional screeners, at a time of growing dissatisfaction with wait times at airport security stations. AFGE called for a boost of 6,000 from the current level of about 42,000.
That would bring staff about back to the 47,000 of 2013, the union said, adding that the volume of passengers has risen by 15 percent in that time.
