Titus bill on DHS diversity passes House

WASHINGTON — The House on Tuesday passed a bill by Rep. Dina Titus of Nevada to diversify the Department of Homeland Security workforce so it will better represent the nation’s ethnic makeup as officers greet world travelers at airports such as McCarran International.

A similar bill by Titus, a Democrat and member of the House Homeland Security subcommittee on transportation, passed unanimously in the chamber last year but died for lack of action in the Senate.

Titus, D-Nev., refiled the bill at the beginning of this Congress.

House Republicans demanded roll call votes Tuesday on several bills. Nonetheless, the Titus legislation passed on a 355-69 vote with bipartisan support.

“The Department of Homeland Security’s staff, like all our government agencies, should reflect the diversity of this country,” Titus said in a statement.

The bill would instruct the Department of Homeland Security to recruit candidates for positions from historically Black colleges and universities and Hispanic-serving institutions while also encouraging the hiring of veterans.

Titus said she would work with senators to get a bipartisan version of her legislation through the upper chamber and to the president’s desk for signature.

With domestic travel increasing after the pandemic, “we must ensure that airports, like McCarran International in Las Vegas, have the equipment and trained personnel they need to safely and efficiently welcome travelers,” Titus said.

Contact Gary Martin at gmartin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @garymartindc on Twitter.