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I am extremely concerned with reports that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is considering reductions to the ranks of the Federal Protective Service. The FPS is charged with the security of nearly 9,000 federal buildings and the tens of thousands of federal employees who work in these buildings. The safety of federal employees should not be taken lightly.

As our nation learned all too painfully more than 11 years ago in Oklahoma City, federal buildings and federal employees can be the targets of hate and violence. I am troubled with the increasing use of private contract employees to protect federal property. Agency contract oversight is sorely inadequate throughout the federal government, as is so often the training, ability and commitment of contract workers.

I urge Congress to take a hard look at the plans DHS has for changes to the FPS and ensure that the security of federal buildings, federal employees, and the public which visits these buildings, is not compromised.