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Washington, D.C. — As the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) celebrates its sixth anniversary, it is fitting that Congress honors the agency’s employees for their successful efforts in facilitating trade and keeping our country’s citizens safe from harm, said the leader of the union representing tens of thousands of front-line homeland security employees.

DHS was created by the Homeland Security Act of 2002. It merged employees from 22 separate federal agencies and became operational on March 1, 2003.

President Colleen M. Kelley of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) applauded a bipartisan resolution—H. Res. 195—introduced in the House by Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) with 21 co-sponsors, including Rep. Chris Carney (D-Pa.), saluting DHS employees for their selfless work in facilitating commerce and safe travel, as well as for keeping the country free from terrorism and combating illegal trade.

“These dedicated and committed employees regularly work long hours at great personal risk to protect our vital national interests, all while rarely receiving the recognition and support they deserve,” President Kelley said. “I look forward to working with the new administration to continually improve the DHS workplace and ensuring the nation’s security.”

DHS has suffered from dangerously low employee morale since its creation and consistently ranks at or near the bottom in virtually every key area in Office of Personnel Management (OPM) surveys dealing with the federal workplace.

“The nation owes a debt of gratitude to the employees of the Department of Homeland Security for their continued and steadfast efforts to secure the homeland,” the resolution reads. “The United States has not been attacked since September 11, 2001, and this is due in large part to the dedicated service of the employees of the Department of Homeland Security.”

President Kelley said it is critical that members of Congress and agency leadership not only respect DHS employees but understand the key roles they play in the country’s protection.

“I have long encouraged senior DHS leaders and members of Congress to visit any of the nation’s 327 land, air, and sea ports and get first-hand accounts from these employees about what they do and how critically important their job is to the safety and security of the country,” Kelley said.

NTEU is the largest independent federal union, representing 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments, including more than 22,000 employees at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency and thousands of Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) at a number of the nation’s largest airports.