A funding bill scheduled for vote today would allow the federal border control organization to hire much-needed manpower to alleviate what one union calls a serious personnel dearth at hundreds of ports of entry.
The funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security, which a House appropriations subcommittee will consider today, allocates $151 million to address the staffing shortage at 328 ports of entry, said National Treasury Employees Union, which represents about 27,000 Customs and Border Protection employees.
“Excessive overtime, double-shifts and temporary duty assignments to the Southern border are taking a toll on the men and women of CBP, and this legislation would go a long way toward improving their safety and the efficiency of the entire agency,” said NTEU National President Tony Reardon on June 4.
In addition to paying for an extra 1,200 CBP officers, the proposed bill includes funds for 240 agriculture specialists and 406 other mission support staff.