Bills to Boost Border Patrol Pay, CBP Hiring, Wildland Firefighter Pay Advance
A key Senate committee recently advanced three bills with bipartisan support that could have a major impact on the workforces of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Forest Service.
Border Patrol Enhancement Act
The Border Patrol Enhancement Act (S.1444) boosts pay by a minimum of 14 percent for agents in General Schedule (GS)-12 positions, the bracket most agents are currently in.
It also gives the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) the authority to boost pay for other grades and occupational groups. It would give Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 180 days to complete a study looking at personnel requirements.
Bill sponsor Senator James Lankford (R-OK) says right now, many border patrol agents are working 80-to-100-hour weeks and are not being paid overtime.
“Literally at the time we’re asking more of Border Patrol, we’re not compensating them. So that is just not right to just cut off their compensation at that point,” Senator Lankford said.
Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), who represents the border state of Arizona, is a cosponsor of the legislation and says it is desperately needed to help recruitment and retention.
Senator Sinema told Federal News Network that because of lagging pay “those who don’t leave for other agencies are counting down the days for their retirement eligibility.”
Securing America’s Ports of Entry Act
The committee also advanced the Securing America’s Ports of Entry Act (S.3850), which requires CBP to hire at least 600 new officers a year until its hiring needs are met. CBP has struggled to staff up for years, and its staffing levels have remained flat throughout the Biden Administration.
The bill also authorizes the hiring of more support staff to free up agents to focus on law enforcement duties. It would also provide better infrastructure and technology to officers who inspect international goods for drugs and other illicit items.
Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act
A temporary raise is on the road to becoming a permanent pay bump for federal wildland firefighters, as the committee approved the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act of 2023 (S.2272).
The temporary raise of either $20,000 or 50 percent of pay, whichever was lower, was part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It is currently scheduled to expire in September unless Congress acts.
In a June hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) National President Randy Erwin said not making the pay raise permanent would decimate the workforce, in the middle of the fire season.
“People are leaving the Forest Service in droves. There’s a multitude of reasons, but the first and foremost is low pay and uncertainty about pay,” Erwin told Federal News Network.