I have been working for the past six years to improve federal building security. This bill will make a big difference. It will put us in a position where we can harness the professionalism of the Federal Protective Service and thus reduce the likelihood of another Oklahoma City.
Good security starts and ends with good people. One of the keys to dramatically improving building security is having a well-trained professional police force led by experienced law enforcement and security professionals - not real estate managers. Congress also needs to clearly establish, by statute, FPS's mission and jurisdiction.
H.R. 809 will achieve all of these goals.
Why is this legislation needed? Because security is best provided by police officers -- not real estate managers! Low manpower levels, a flawed management structure, and the increasing use of unqualified contract guards are seriously compromising the ability of FPS to do its job.
For example, FPS is part of GSA's real estate management arm, the Public Building Service. As such, the head of FPS does not have command and control authority over FPS
regional directors. Regional FPS directors are required to report directly to Public Building Service regional administrators -- individuals with no law enforcement experience!
In addition, the majority of FPS regional directors have no law enforcement or intelligence experience.
One example I would like to cite is the proposal to construct a new child care center in the Celebrezze Building in Cleveland, Ohio. PBS blatantly ignored the recommendations of the Joint Security Task Force and proposed placing the center adjacent to the building's loading dock FPS objected to this proposal, but the matter is still pending.
It is clear that an independent FPS could that its security recommendations are taken seriously and have equal footing with other agencies.
H.R. 809 embodies the FPS-related recommendations made in a 1995 Justice Department study conducted in the wake of the April 19, 1995 bombing of the Murrah building in Oklahoma City. The study's recommendations, which included upgrading the position of FPS within GSA, were endorsed by the FBI, Marshals Service, Department of Defense, Secret Service, State Department and Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
I would also point out that a 1996 review conducted for GSA by Arthur Andersen strongly recommended that FPS be made a stand-alone service within GSA. Unfortunately, through four separate hearings conducted over the past two years by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, PBS never once mentioned this key study.
I want to note for the record that House committee staff had lengthy discussions with key PBS officials about this legislation. We offered to negotiate all provisions in the bill if PBS would agree to give full "command and control" authority to the head of FPS. The answer was a resounding "no."
H.R. 809 has been strongly endorsed by every major law enforcement organization in the country, including the National Fraternal Order of Police, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association and the International Brotherhood of Police Officers.
I want to also note for the record that the House worked closely with the Department of Justice and the Secret Service to resolve some minor concerns they had over the wording of the original bill. All of their concerns were addressed in a manager's amendment approved by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
The only issue that has been contentious, as far as the Public Building Service is concerned, is whether or not FPS should be a stand-alone service within GSA.
On this issue I side with the law enforcement community.
The fact is, the entire law enforcement community believes that making FPS a stand- alone service within GSA is essential to upgrading and improving federal building security.
Mr. Chairman, this bill is much needed and long overdue. The sad reality is that since Oklahoma City, the terrorist threat to federal buildings - foreign and domestic - has increased dramatically. Right now, we are still unprepared to deal with this threat.
H.R. 809 will give us a fighting chance to effectively combat terrorism. I urge its expeditious approval.