Homeland Security Issues Still Unresolved

As the Senate continues to consider legislation to create a new Homeland Security Department, attempts are being made to find a compromise on the main issue holding up action: the protections for employees who would work in the new agency, particularly their union rights. An idea being floated by some Democrats would grant the Federal Labor Relations Authority to review any Presidential decisions to exempt employees from union membership. Another approach, raised on a bipartisan basis, would be to allow no administrative appeal rights in such situations, but the President would first have to notify Congress, which presumably could enact legislation to override the decision. Meanwhile, some Republicans want to force a vote on the administration’s proposal to give the new department greater leeway in setting its personnel policies. A House-passed counterpart bill (Hr-5005) would grant those flexibilities but the pending Senate measure (S-2452) wouldn’t.