By Brittany R. Ballenstedt
The House on Saturday approved a bipartisan spending bill amendment that would protect the collective bargaining and appeal rights of civilian employees as the Defense Department overhauls its personnel system.
The amendment, offered by Reps. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., Walter Jones, R-N.C., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., was added to the 2008 Defense appropriations bill (H.R. 3222) and passed without objection by voice vote.
The provision would block funding for portions of the Pentagon's National Security Personnel System relating to employee collective bargaining and appeal rights. Inslee and other lawmakers have opposed NSPS and other personnel overhauls championed by the Bush administration on the grounds that such systems could lead to the appointment and promotion of workers based on their political views rather than merit.
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