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Washington, D.C.—The head of the union representing employees of a key federal agency that would be shifted into a new Department of Homeland Security today expressed her disappointment at the House Select Committee markup of homeland security legislation that failed to include full worker personnel rights. All five Republican members of the Select Committee voted for an amendment by Congressman Rob Portman (R-OH) that eliminated in a 5-4 party line vote current civil service rules.

“It is disappointing,” said President Colleen M. Kelley of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), “that the Republican members of the Select Committee chose to ignore the bipartisan views of the House Government Reform Committee that the rights of those employees transferred to the new department should be maintained.”

The battle, President Kelley said, “now shifts to the House floor, where I trust the Rules Committee will provide for a full, robust and open debate on this critical issue.”

She added that NTEU, which represents some 12,000 employees of the Customs Service, would focus its attention on both the vote of the full House and on securing passage of companion legislation introduced by Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) that would fully afford employees their civil service rights.

The Senate bill “makes infinitely more sense,” both for the nation and for federal workers,” Kelley said, “and NTEU will do everything it can to see that the Lieberman bill prevails,” including maintaining Customs as a separate entity.

From the start of discussions over creation of this new department, the NTEU leader has been in the forefront of those arguing that the administration’s proposal—and now the proposal of the House Select Committee—would give the new director of homeland security, working with the director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) “far too much latitude” to determine the rights, pay and benefits and working conditions of some 170,000 federal workers.

“It is simply wrong to hold over the heads of these dedicated, talented, experienced federal employees the threat of the loss of these rights,” President Kelley said.

NTEU is the largest independent federal union, representing some 150,000 employees in 25 agencies and departments.