FederalDaily.com > Hiring, Protecting Border Patrol Agents

FederalDaily - February 13, 2006

Hiring, Protecting Border Patrol Agents

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to hire more personnel and address violence against border patrol agents in the upcoming years, DHS officials said on Feb. 9. Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar said, “There has been [a] 108 percent increase on the number of assaults against our officers as compared to the fiscal year before.” That increase represented a total of 778 violent incidents. This fiscal year, there have already been 192 violent confrontations with border patrol agents, Aguilar added. DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff said violence against agents includes “gunshots fired across the border to rocks being thrown, sometimes flaming rocks.” Chertoff also noted that the 2007 budget request called for $458 million and 1,500 new border patrol agents. That is in addition to the 1,500 agents already added this past year, which would reflect a 42 percent increase since 9/11, bringing the total up to almost 14,000 agents.

Barring Corrupt Contractors from Federal Work

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., on Feb. 9 introduced the Reconstruction Accountability and Anti-Fraud Act to ensure that future federal contracting dollars to rebuild Iraq and the Katrina-ravaged Gulf Coast are not used to hire companies with questionable financial practices. Durbin said his bill will bar from all reconstruction efforts in Iraq and the Gulf Coast firms that have overcharged, improperly billed or defrauded the government of more than $10 million over the last five years. Firms that have been suspended from competing for federal contracts will also be barred from all reconstruction efforts in Iraq and the Gulf Coast. “Congress must ensure that reconstruction dollars meant to help Katrina victims rebuild their lives are not diverted to irresponsible contractors seeking to pad their bottom lines,” Durbin said.

FEMA Officials Indicted

Two Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) workers assisting with the Hurricane Katrina recovery in New Orleans, La., have been indicted for soliciting bribes, the FBI announced recently. Andrew Rose and Lloyd Holliman managed a FEMA camp in Algiers, La. On Dec. 14, 2005, they approached a local contractor about inflating the base occupancy for a meal supply contract in exchange for a $20,000 kickback, according to the FBI. Rose and Holliman met with the contractor on several occasions throughout December and January to discuss the terms of the bribe. They were arrested on Jan. 27, 2006, with each accused of accepting a $10,000 payment. Jim Letten, U.S. attorney for the eastern district of Louisiana, said, “The government will be vigorous in its pursuit of those who would try to unlawfully benefit from the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina.”

AF Updates Religious Expression Guidelines

The Air Force (AF) released updated, interim guidance on religious expression for religious and nonreligious servicemembers last week. “Leaders at every level bear a special responsibility to ensure their words and actions cannot reasonably be construed to be officially endorsing nor disapproving any faith belief or absence of belief,” the guidance says. The guidance also stresses the need for superiors to allow freedom of religious expression and voluntary participation in religious gatherings. Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., praised the changes, stating, “It is of vital importance that all Americans who nobly choose to serve their country can also choose to worship as they see fit, without fear of intimidation.” However, Rev. Barry Lynn—executive director for watchdog group Americans United for Separation of Church and State—issued a statement on Feb. 9 saying the AF guidelines “completely miss the point,” focusing on chaplains and ignoring nonbelievers and minority faiths. Lynn said, “The document fails to grapple with the real issue of whether our Air Force will be welcoming to a diverse group of cadets…” The guidelines are available for viewing at http://salazar.senate.gov/images/pdf/Rel060207.pdf.