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A key Republican senator urged the Bush administration Thursday to wait for results from the new Homeland Security and Defense department personnel systems before spreading the reforms to the rest of the federal government.

In late January, the Office of Management and Budget said it would seek to overhaul personnel rules in all federal agencies. Clay Johnson, OMB deputy director for management, acknowledged that the plan - which was included in the fiscal 2006 budget proposal - will require congressional approval. Federal personnel officials are implementing sweeping reforms at DHS and Defense that will abolish the General Schedule pay system, restrict union bargaining rights and implement stricter disciplinary rules.

"We have a difference of opinion with the administration on whether this should be cascaded out" in the short term, said Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, during a hearing Thursday of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia. Voinovich is chairman of that subcommittee and would have a great deal of influence on the expansion of civil service reform to the rest of the federal government. The hearing focused on the Homeland Security personnel system.

"I'm going to try to stick to my guns," Voinovich said.

During Thursday's hearing, several Homeland Security personnel officials described the new system as critical to national security. Voinovich told them that their experience with the revamped systems would most likely determine if the reforms were spread to other federal agencies. He made it clear that he supports the reforms, and he called on union leaders to help shape the process and support the transition.

Union officials, however, were wary. Several labor leaders are sharply opposed to the DHS personnel reforms as they currently exist.

The personnel systems at DHS and Defense were overhauled because of national security concerns and that rationale cannot be applied elsewhere, said National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen Kelley.

"Those considerations do not apply to the rest of the government," Kelley said.

The senior Democrat on the subcommittee, Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, also called on the Bush administration to show patience in carrying the reforms to other parts of the federal workforce.

"It is premature and shortsighted," he said, "to open the door to untried and untested regulations."

COMMENTS

• Yesterday, we had another non-briefing for the New Spoils Political System (NSPS) wherein the answer to most of the questions was still "I don't know." Our SES got a little heated when folks got frustrated with hearing that time and again. Did you know that performance is defined as not only how well you do your job, but your manner, demeanor, attitude and behavior in doing your job? Our SES told us that there would be standards of what's considered acceptable manner, demeanor, attitude and behavior. Pay for performance my Aunt Fanny. Did you know that even though you may not be part of the Spiral Down, er, um, I mean Spiral One that goes under paybanding (set for Jun or Jul 05), all DoD civlians will fall under Rummy's new National Security Labor Relations Board at that time? They are certainly having their cake and eating it to, aren't they. You may not fall under paybanding but they've still got you. Did you know that locality pay may be a thing of the past, because its now based on, among other things, availabilty of funds? Considering the budget in now orbiting the moons of Saturn, how hard is it going to be for management to play that card? Most of the people I work with haven't even read the NSPS rules, let alone write their Congressional reps or provide comments. Now, personally, I think both of these endeavors are futile but it made me feel better. For those of us with more than 20 years in, it will be little more than indentured servitude because we have too much time invested to just quit. NSPS will create a world class system of sycophants and toadies, which is exactly why, instead of fixing civil service, they destroyed it and created their own little world. Be afraid, be very afraid. GovExec.com reader Posted February 23, 2005 7:22 AM
• Can someone in the House and Senate WAKE UP!!! Please save the government employees from being destroyed. It doesn't matter to Bush or Rummy if he takes away all benefits from government employees. Bush and his buds will make it. As long as they can keep the WAR's going they become richer. They use the government employees as pawns in a winless chess game. PLEASE SOMEONE HELP US!!! WORKER BEE KC GovExec.com reader Posted February 22, 2005 7:52 AM
• I'm sick of the constant attacks on federal employees. I for one will no longer go that extra mile, why should I the Bush administration treats us like door mats. To fellow Feds I respect the heck out of you. Take this job and shove it. GovExec.com reader Posted February 16, 2005 7:54 AM