Subject: RELEASE: Clinton Announces Final Congressional Approval of Her Measure to Stop Downsizing of Key Homeland Security Agency
From: "Clinton, Press Office (Clinton)" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2007 18:24:59 -0500

Statements & Releases - Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, New York

 

For Immediate Release

December 19, 2007

Contact:

Clinton Press Office (202) 224-2243 or

[email-masked]

 

CLINTON ANNOUNCES FINAL CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL OF HER MEASURE TO STOP
DOWNSIZING OF KEY HOMELAND SECURITY AGENCY

Bipartisan Measure Included in FY 2008 Omnibus Appropriations Bill

WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today announced final
Congressional passage of the Fiscal Year 2008 Omnibus Appropriations
bill, which includes a bipartisan amendment she authored to stop the
Department of Homeland Security's efforts to downsize the Federal
Protective Service.  The agency is responsible for securing 9,000
non-military federal buildings such as the Federal Bureau of
Investigation New York Field Office in Lower Manhattan and the Plum
Island Animal Disease Center on Long Island and 1.1 million federal
employees across the nation.  

Having been approved by both chambers of Congress, the bill will now go
to the President for signature.

"Under the Bush administration's plan for the Federal Protection
Service, over a million federal employees all across the nation would be
put at risk.  I welcome passage of this measure, which will ensure that
the FPS is not downsized and that it has the resources to do its job
effectively," said Senator Clinton.

The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Federal Protective Service
(FPS) provides law enforcement and security services to over one million
tenants and daily visitors to federally owned and leased facilities
nationwide. The FPS oversees approximately 15,000 contract security
guards. The Administration currently plans to replace current serving
FPS law enforcement personnel with Inspectors. This would reduce the
number of FPS full time staff from just under 1,200 personnel to 950,
and would leave nearly 9,000 non-military federal buildings, located in
over 2,100 American communities, and 1.1 million Federal employees at
risk.

The New York/New Jersey region and the National Capital region would see
the largest reductions under the Bush Administration's plan. The
proposed downsizing plan would affect the security at government
buildings in New York State, many of which are considered high-risk
facilities. The facility locations include Lower Manhattan, Upper
Manhattan, Queens, Long Island, Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Champlain,
Plattsburgh, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, and Syracuse.

Senator Clinton's amendment would prevent the Administration's
privitization plan from moving forward, and requires the Secretary of
Homeland Security to restore the number of full time FPS staff to a
minimum of 1,200 and 900 full time Police Officers, Inspectors, Area
Commanders and Special Agents who will be directly engaged on a daily
basis protecting and enforcing laws at Federal Buildings.

Last July, Senator Clinton introduced a bipartisan amendment
co-sponsored by Senators Schumer, Kennedy, Akaka, Lautenberg, Kerry,
Lieberman, Collins, Mikulski, Cardin, and Menendez to prevent further
cutbacks and restore the number of full time staff to a minimum of 1,200
and 900 full time Police Officers, Inspectors, Area Commanders and
Special Agents who will be directly engaged on a daily basis protecting
and enforcing laws at Federal Buildings. Senator Clinton also sent a
letter to Department of Homeland (DHS) Security Secretary Michael
Chertoff, expressing her concerns about the current plan to
significantly reduce the size of the Service. 

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