Limited Support

Last week, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia met to discuss the Homeland Security Department's nascent and controversial personnel system.

After reading about the hearing in Government Executive, several readers noted the lack of senatorial support for the new system. Federal officials praised the system, along with Subcommittee Chairman George Voinovich, R-Ohio. However, three Democratic senators and several union officials sharply criticized aspects of the new approach, which is designed to limit the scope of union bargaining, make it easier for managers to discipline poor performers and dismantle the General Schedule pay system.

One non-DHS federal employee said Republican senators should have shown up "in numbers to defend the policy of their president."

What's more, while Voinovich gave his support to the DHS system, he said he would not give the Bush administration a blank check to expand personnel reform across the government. The chairman insisted on seeing results from the Homeland Security and Defense departments before giving the green light to similar overhauls in other agencies.

David Walker, head of the Government Accountability Office, agreed, saying personnel officials should focus on getting it right instead of "getting it fast."

Sens. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, Mark Pryor, D-Ark., and Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., all supported the concept of improved accountability and performance. There were differences over the role of unions, but few disputed the ultimate goal.

Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, said that the union wants to work with DHS officials to develop a new system. She said she welcomed the idea of a new approach to personnel management, but complained that labor representatives had received the cold shoulder in negotiations about its structure. Darryl Perkinson, vice president of the Federal Managers Association, also backed the concept of a new system, but questioned whether Congress would provide the funds to ensure a smooth transition.

Several union officials argued that the performance pay principle was fundamentally unsuitable for Homeland Security. John Gage, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, testified that law enforcement officials working side by side should not also be in direct competition for pay raises.

But Voinovich set the tone for the future development of the system and its possible expansion to other parts of government. He asked Gage to meet on a regular basis to discuss concerns and praised federal personnel officials for the work they have done sculpting the new regulations.

The House Government Reform Committee, which provides oversight of federal pay and benefits issues, released its new subcommittee rosters Wednesday.

The Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce and Agency Organization, chaired by Jon Porter, R-Nev., will include Republicans John Mica of Florida, Tom Davis of Virginia, Darrell Issa of California, Kenny Marchant of Texas, Patrick McHenry of North Carolina. The Democrats on the panel are: Danny Davis of Illinois, Major Owens of New York, Eleanor Holmes Norton of the District of Columbia, and Elijah Cummings and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland.

The Subcommittee on Federalism and the Census, chaired by Rep. Michael Turner, Ohio, includes Republicans Charles Dent of Pennsylvania, Christopher Shays of Connecticut, Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, and Democrats Lacy Clay of Missouri, Paul Kanjorksi of Pennsylvania, and Carloyn Maloney of New York.