OPM: Dept. of Homeland Security should include vets.

• Author: Book, Elizabeth G.
• Position: Security Beat

The head of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management said that military veterans, not government bureaucrats, should be given preference when new jobs are created in the Homeland Security Department.

Veterans possess many of the qualifications required, said Kay Coles James, OPM's director. "Our veterans have already given to their country. Certainly, their service and experience ought to be recognized in the federal hiring process," she said.

The Homeland Security Department bill that recently passed in the House of Representatives includes veterans' preference, merit system principles and whistleblower protections. At press time, the bill was pending in the Senate.

James noted that preference laws for veterans have a history of helping...