[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 45 (Thursday, April 21, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 21, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                    PUBLIC SERVICE RECOGNITION WEEK

  Mrs. BYRNE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on Post Office and Civil Service be discharged from further 
consideration of the Senate joint resolution (S.J. Res. 150) to 
designate the week of May 2 through May 8, 1994, as ``Public Service 
Recognition Week,'' and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate joint resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Virginia?
  Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, reserving the right to object, I yield 
to the gentlewoman from Virginia [Mrs. Byrne], who is the chief sponsor 
of House Joint Resolution 253, which is the House counterpart of Senate 
Joint Resolution 150 to designate the week of May 2 through May 8 as 
``Public Service Recognition Week,'' for the explanation of this 
legislation.
  Mrs. BYRNE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Maryland, my 
friend who has worked with me on this issue, for yielding.
  Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my 
distinguished colleagues who have joined me as cosponsors of the 
resolution I introduced to designate the week of May 2, 1994, as Public 
Service Recognition Week.
  Public Service Recognition Week pays tribute to the almost 20 million 
Americans who serve their communities, their States, and their country 
by working for government.
  This year will mark the ninth Public Service Recognition Week, and 
over 1,000 municipalities across this Nation are gearing up to honor 
their public employees.
  Public Service Recognition Week reminds us that all Americans benefit 
from the achievements of public employees. They protect our streets, 
maintain our natural parks, explore our skies, teach our children and 
defend our nation.
  This week teaches us that government employees are not nameless 
bureaucrats, but doctors and engineers, teachers and scientists, police 
officers and soldiers, friends and family members.
  Their efforts prove that serving one's country in the public sector 
is the highest form of patriotism. Their commitment and hard work on 
behalf of this Nation deserve to be recognized.
  Public Service Recognition Week offers us a chance to proclaim our 
solidarity with government workers and to show America that public 
employees are an integral part of reinventing government.
  Most importantly, Public Service Recognition Week is a way to inform 
all Americans--especially young people--of the opportunities for 
choosing public service as a life-long profession.
  This year, as they have done in the past, the Public Employees 
Roundtable and the President's Council on Management Improvement, who 
sponsor the week, are organizing a salute to public service on the Mall 
here in Washington.
  The various Federal agencies will set up tents on the Mall with 
exhibits celebrating the achievements of public employees. I look 
forward to seeing many young people out there gaining new insights into 
career choices.
  Public Service Recognition Week is a proven way to enhance employee 
morale, heighten America's awareness of the services provided by its 
public employees and encourage a new generation of Americans to 
consider public service.

                              {time}  1540

  Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, continuing to reserve the right to 
object, I want to commend the gentlewoman from Virginia [Mrs. Byrne] 
who serves on the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service with me 
and who has been a leader for Federal employees in her district and 
throughout the country and for her leadership on this resolution.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of House Joint Resolution 253, of 
which I am an original cosponsor, and the corresponding Senate 
resolution, Senate Joint Resolution 150, designating May 2 through May 
8, 1994 as ``Public Service Recognition Week.''
  This measure recognizes public service at all levels: local, 
municipal, county, State and Federal. The 17 million Americans who are 
in public service affect each facet of life in our country--from the 
food we eat, the quality of the water we drink, the air we breath, the 
roads we drive on, and the safety of our communities. We depend on them 
for quality education, for the effective and honest weights and 
measurements, for research in health and nutrition.
  The importance of public service is often overlooked by most of our 
citizens. This is an opportunity to bring to our Nation's attention the 
many avenues of career development in the public service. I would like 
to recognize the positive work done by a dedicated organization, the 
Public Employees Roundtable [PER]. PER is a nonprofit educational 
organization which represents 38 professional employee groups. I would 
like to specially mention the outstanding work that my constituent, Dr. 
Joan Keston, president of PER, has been doing over the decade in 
organizing Public Service Recognition Week.
  This is actually the ninth year that PER has sponsored Public Service 
Recognition Week. They expect that more than 1,000 cities across the 
Nation will participate in observing public service recognition this 
year. Additionally, Madam Speaker, President Clinton's public service 
announcement in support of public employees will air on over 2,300 
radio stations.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important measure 
which will recognize the dedication of public service employees.
  Madam Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I yield to the 
gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman], who has been so prominent on the 
Committee on Post Office and Civil Service, and who previously was the 
ranking member until he became the ranking member of the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs.
  (Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. GILMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Joint 
Resolution 253, which designates the week of May 2, 1994 through May 8, 
1994, as ``Public Service Recognition Week,'' and I commend the 
gentlewoman from Virginia [Mrs. Byrne] for introducing this 
legislation.
  Madam Speaker, as a senior Republican member on the House Post Office 
and Civil Service Committee it gives me great pleasure to join in 
congratulating the dedicated men and women who have chosen a career in 
public service. Public employees in all levels of our Government 
continue to be an integral part of the American work force. Our public 
servants hold an important part of our public trust and provide vital 
services for Americans each day.
  Madam Speaker, in recent years public employees have taken the brunt 
of criticism aimed at our Government. There have been numerous attempts 
to cut their pay and benefits while their salaries continue to lag 
behind workers in the private sector. Yet, our Nation's public 
employees continue to serve our country with dedication and 
distinction.
  Madam Speaker, ``Public Service Recognition Week'' provides the 
American people and this body with the opportunity to thank the many 
men and women in public service, as well as to acknowledge their 
outstanding contributions to our Nation. Let us remember that good 
government is a reflection of the men and women who strive to make it 
that way. Let us be grateful that so many qualified men and women have 
chosen and continue to choose careers in public service. Accordingly, I 
urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.
  I thank the gentlewoman from Maryland [Mrs. Morella] and the 
gentlewoman from Virginia [Mrs. Byrne] for bringing this measure to 
this floor at this time.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Unsoeld). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentlewoman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the Senate joint resolution, as follows:

                             S.J. Res. 150

       Whereas public employees at every level of government 
     faithfully serve their fellow Americans;
       Whereas there are 9,000,000 employees in local government, 
     4,000,000 employees in State government, and over 3,000,000 
     civilian workers and 2,000,000 military employees in the 
     Federal Government;
       Whereas Americans are aware of the many contributions 
     public employees have made to the quality of their lives, in 
     occupations that run and gamut from astronauts to zoologists, 
     including scientists, police officers, teachers, doctors, 
     forest rangers, engineers, food inspectors, researchers, and 
     foreign service agents, among others;
       Whereas the Nation should value a professional civil 
     service whose highest principle is one of patriotism, whose 
     foremost commitment is to excellence, and whose experience 
     and expertise are a national resource to be used and 
     respected;
       Whereas the millions of workers who serve our country are 
     men and women of knowledge, ability, and integrity who 
     deserve to be recognized for their dedicated service; and
       Whereas designating a week to honor these employees will 
     provide a dual opportunity to pay tribute to our public 
     employees and to inform the American people about the scope 
     and importance of public service, including the range of 
     employment opportunities available to our young people: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and the House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the 
     week of May 2 through May 8, 1994, is designated as ``Public 
     Service Recognition Week''. The President is authorized and 
     requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of 
     the United States to observe the week with appropriate 
     programs, ceremonies, and activities.

  The Senate joint resolution was ordered to be read a third time, was 
read the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on 
the table.

                          ____________________