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Washington, D.C.—The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) strongly supports bipartisan legislation that would extend law enforcement officer (LEO) status to certain employees of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS), its leader told Congress today.

NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley said “common sense demands an end to the inequity” of Customs Inspectors and Canine Enforcement Officers, as well as IRS Revenue Officers, performing work which is as demanding and dangerous as any member of the federal law enforcement community, yet not carrying LEO status. The designation provides eligibility for retirement at age 50 after 20 years of government service.

In testimony before a joint meeting of the House Government Reform Subcommittees on Civil Service and Agency Organization, and Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources, the NTEU leader pressed for the passage of H.R. 2442. The Law Enforcement Officers Equity Act of 2004 has been introduced by Reps. Bob Filner (D-CA) and John McHugh (R-NY). President Kelley called it “wise public policy.”

NTEU represents more than 7,500 Customs Inspectors and some 900 Customs Canine Enforcement Officers, who are now part of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (BCP) in the

new DHS, as well as some 6,000 IRS Revenue Officers.

She recounted for the subcommittees a range of the duties of these employees, including dealing with wanted fugitives and anti-government tax protestors, and said that the employees engage in “dangerous work with real and unrelenting hazards.” Every day, she said, they “face enormous physical challenges and constant stress.”

The NTEU leader noted that one of the arguments against granting LEO status has been additional cost. “NTEU strongly believes that these costs are easily outweighed by the benefits to the officers, their families and the American public,” including enhanced recruitment and retention of capable personnel, she said.

The NTEU president pointed out that legislation establishing DHS called for the elimination of unwarranted disparities in the pay and benefits of employees transferred from 22 other federal agencies into DHS.

A report earlier this year by DHS Secretary Tom Ridge that focused on differences in pay and benefits “clearly shows” that within BCP “there are two classes of employees,” President Kelley said—those with law enforcement officer status and those without it.

NTEU is the largest independent federal union, representing some 150,000 employees in 29 agencies and departments.