Senate Would Fully Fund DHS Personnel System

The Senate version of an appropriations bill (HR-2360) covering the Department of Homeland Security would not follow the House’s lead in cutting funding from the department’s new personnel system. Instead, the Senate version would provide the full $53 million the administration requested for that system in fiscal 2006, including funds for design, training, program management, converting the initial group of employees from the general schedule, and creating an internal labor relations board. However, the measure would require a progress report that would have to include “an assessment of the success of this program in improving mission effectiveness” as well as projections on long-run costs. The House’s version would impose a cut of $26 million. It is unclear what effect such a cut would have, although the White House has termed full funding “critical” to deployment of the system. Meanwhile, unions have asked the federal district court in Washington, D.C. to issue an injunction against the DHS regulations.