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Kelley Calls Senate Rejection Of Additional Security Funding Proposal A “Failed Test”

Press Release January 16, 2003

Washington, D.C.—By rejecting an amendment to the pending omnibus appropriations bill that would have provided an additional $5 billion for homeland security, the Senate “failed its first meaningful test” on the issue of whether or not it will provide sufficient resources to do the job the nation expects to be done, the leader of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) said today.

NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley said the vote to reject the amendment offered by Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) “reflects a failure to fully understand” that a lack of adequate resources “puts at serious risk” the ability of the men and women on the front lines of border security to accomplish their missions.

NTEU represents some 12,000 employees of the Customs Service, who will be among the 170,000 federal workers from 22 agencies and departments making up the new Department of Homeland Security.

In a letter to every senator, President Kelley urged passage of the Byrd Amendment, saying that the federal employees “who will determine the success or failure of a Department of Homeland Security—such as Customs Service personnel—deserve the resources” the amendment would have provided “to enable them to fulfill their expanding responsibilities over border security and trade facilitation.”

The NTEU leader has long advocated adequate and stable funding for federal agencies, and noted that neither the administration nor Congress has been willing to back up its stated commitment to strengthen border

security by providing Customs with enough personnel and equipment. For example, she said, while the Patriot Act, passed in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, called for tripling Customs personnel on the U.S.-Canada border, personnel additions there have fallen far short of that goal.

Under the Byrd proposal, an additional $1 billion would have been allocated to border security for such steps as container security improvements, additional Coast Guard patrol boats, northern and southern border security improvements, and more.

As the largest independent federal union, NTEU represents more than 150,000 employees in 28 agencies and departments.

Contact: NTEU-PR@NTEU.org, 202-572-5500