Chairman Thompson's Statement for the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
April 27, 2010 (WASHINGTON) - Congressman Bennie G. Thompson, Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security submitted the following statement for the record before the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation hearing entitled “Status of Coast Guard Civil Rights Programs and Diversity Initiatives”:
"First, I would like to thank Chairman Cummings for holding today’s hearing.
As Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, I share the Chairman’s concern about diversity and civil rights issues in the Coast Guard.
A component of the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Coast Guard is a capable and skilled force of over 42,000 men and women on active duty; 7,000 reservists; 7,500 full-time civilian employees; and 29,000 auxiliarists.
In its “top to bottom” review and evaluation of the United States Coast Guard’s Office of Civil Rights, Booz Allen Hamilton reached dismal conclusions about the state of staffing, organization, and implementation of the program used to monitor and assure civil rights and equal employment opportunity.
The contractor gave 58 recommendations to improving the Office of Civil Rights. These recommendations included changing the organizational structure to streamline complaint reporting; implementing training guidelines and deadlines for all employees; and revising the Equal Employment Manual. Each of these small reforms will go a long way to assure that employees have access to the tools they need to adequately address grievances.
In December 2009, Committee on Homeland Security staff met with Director of the Office of Civil Rights to assess the Coast Guard’s progress.
Staff was provided a two-page email announcement and an organizational chart illustrating a change in office structure as the solution to over 50 of the recommendations made in the Booz Allen Hamilton report.
According to information delivered to Committee Staff from the Office of Civil Rights, the three regional offices are headed by Civil Rights Managers—each of whom supervises about seven employees.
These three regional offices; however, do not serve proportionate populations. Region 1 serves a population of 14,000 men and women; Region 2 serves 32,300 men and women; and Region 3 serves 13,500 men and women.
Regional offices that aren’t proportionate in number will not decrease the equal opportunity backlog, nor provide adequate training and service to the men and women that stand ready to serve this country at the drop of a dime.
Further, the Coast Guard has not provided the Committee with a revised EEO manual, dates of staff training, nor revisions to this training.
I look forward to receiving this material.
But, in addition to looking forward, we all must move forward. For the Coast Guard to move forward, its Office of Civil Rights must develop a comprehensive, strategic approach to Equal Employment Opportunity. The solution must be more than just mere change in office structure.
At a minimum, the solution must include an increase of efficiency of the Office of Civil Rights. It must have include an adequate work plan for the Office of Civil Rights employees; have a method to decrease EEO backlog; EEO training schedules; and a plan to deploy these solutions throughout Coast Guard.
But this approach can only work if it is accompanied by rigorous oversight and support of the incoming Commandant Vice Admiral Robert J. Papp.
As Coast Guard Chief of Staff, Vice Admiral Papp knows the issues involving the Office of Civil Rights as he was included in the correspondence between the Coast Guard Office of Civil Rights and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.
I look forward to Vice Admiral Papp’s leadership and oversight of the Office of Civil Rights.
The brave members of the Coast Guard stand ready to interdict drug traffickers, stop human smugglers, and rescue people in distress. They are the bedrock of our safety in times of peril after a natural disaster. Now, the Coast Guard must be ready to execute and deliver a civil rights program that can serve as a model throughout the Department of Homeland Security.
Again, I thank Chairman Cummings for holding this hearing and I look forward to continuing to work with him on this very important issue."
Please see the website for the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for more information on the hearing.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please contact Dena Graziano or Adam Comis at (202) 225-9978
