House Passes Republican Bills to Expand Paid Parental Leave at TSA and Combat Human Trafficking

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed two Republican-led bills that are a part of House Homeland Security Committee Republicans’ American Security Agenda: Rep. John Katko’s (R-NY) H.R. 5811, which ensures Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees have access to facilities for nursing and paid parental leave, and Rep. Dan Crenshaw’s (R-Texas) H.R. 5804, which expands the reach of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Blue Campaign using web-based training to groups who are the most likely to encounter victims of human trafficking.

“I’m proud of the important work being done by Reps. Katko and Crenshaw,” House Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) said. “Both of these bills provide pivotal support for DHS personnel to not only protect all generations but to raise the next generation as well. I’m pleased to have supported both their bills.”

“No mother or father should have to choose between their job and being a parent,” Katko said. “I’ve proudly led efforts to support working parents, including policies to ensure access to paid parental leave and necessary protections for pregnant workers. Today, I’m pleased to announce the passage of my bipartisan bill, the TSA Workplace Improvement Act of 2020. This measure provides at least 12 weeks of paid parental leave to qualified TSA personnel and ensures new mothers have access to designated nursing facilities in the workplace. With the passage of this bill, we are taking a meaningful step to ensure working parents have the necessary accommodations and protections to continue safely working for the TSA.”

“My bill, H.R.5804, the DHS Blue Campaign Enhancement Act, will build on the successes of the Blue Campaign by expanding the reach of online educational videos and creating an advisory committee in DHS,” Crenshaw said. “We must do everything we can to end the evil of human trafficking, and building on the 10 years of success by the Blue Campaign is the best way to do that. I am pleased my colleagues unanimously supported this important legislation.”

Both bills are a part of Committee Republicans’ American Security Agenda, a comprehensive legislative effort from Homeland Security Republicans to combat new and evolving threats to our homeland. The agenda is grounded on three pillars: granting DHS the authority it needs to stay ahead of emerging threats; providing DHS and its state, local, and private sector partners with the resources they need to build and maintain a robust capacity to deter acts of terrorism; and reforming DHS structure and management to ensure it properly positioned to combat the constantly evolving threat to the homeland.