The publication is reproduced in full below:
HOMELAND SECURITY ACQUISITION PROFESSIONAL CAREER PROGRAM ACT
______
speech of
HON. DINA TITUS
of nevada
in the house of representatives
Monday, April 19, 2021
Ms. TITUS. Madam Speaker, the Department of Homeland Security's staff, like all our government agencies, should reflect the diversity of this country. That is why I rise to offer H.R. 367, the ``Homeland Security Acquisition Professional Career Program Act.''
Due in large part to the American Rescue Plan, the United States is well on its way to crushing the virus that has plagued us for over a year. As a result, domestic travel is increasing.
Accordingly, we must ensure that airports, like McCarran International in Las Vegas, have the equipment and trained personnel they need to safely and efficiently welcome travelers.
We can and should fill these frontline jobs, ranging from TSA agents to cyber security analysts, with veterans and graduates of HBCUs and Hispanic-serving institutions. That is exactly what my bill seeks to do.
Each year, the Department spends billions of dollars acquiring the goods and services needed to carry out its many missions. In addition to COVID-19 supplies, this includes everything from Coast Guard ships to the screening technologies that the Transportation Security Administration uses to secure our nation's travel infrastructure.
Unfortunately, a Government Accountability Office review found that 51 of these DHS major acquisition programs experienced workforce shortfalls.
In an effort to address said shortages, DHS established the Acquisition Professional Career Program.
This 3-year development program affords individuals rigorous training and on-the-job experience within DHS.
It also provides rotations to other components or offices within the Department, mentorship, and additional career development opportunities.
As a result, program participants graduate as certified acquisition professionals in their respective fields, such as contract specialists, cost estimators, and systems engineers.
H.R. 367 will ensure this program remains in place for years to come so that DHS maintains a pipeline for qualified acquisition leaders.
My bill will also require DHS to provide Congress with key information on the program for the next 5 years.
H.R. 367, if enacted, would help DHS strengthen and diversify its acquisition workforce by directing recruitment efforts to historically underrepresented individuals.
This will ensure that the Department, specifically including our TSA officials, is more representative and is more sensitive to the needs, cultural differences, and societal expectations of our heterogenous population, including the traveling public.
With that, I urge my colleagues to vote `yes' on its passage.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 68
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
House Representatives' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
Alerts Sign-up