DHS Measure Would Affect Jobs, Personnel System

The House Appropriations Committee has approved an appropriations bill for the upcoming year for the Department of Homeland Security that would add 1200 new Border Patrol agents, bringing the total to about 13,600, and about 1200 Immigration and Customs Enforcement positions, bringing the total to about 11,500. The measure also would fund the department’s new personnel system, called MaxHR, at the current year’s level of just under $30 million; the administration had requested about $42 million. Federal unions are working to restrict the amount of money available for MaxHR, pointing out that a federal court has invalidated parts of that system (that case is on appeal). Last year the unions ultimately succeeded in a similar effort.