[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 110 (Friday, July 30, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1688]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        IN RECOGNITION OF DEDICATED SERVICE BY MR. ROBERT TOBIAS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. THOMAS M. DAVIS

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 27, 1999

  Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
true leader in the Federal Employees community, Robert Tobias. Since 
1983, Bob Tobias has served as the President of the National Treasury 
Employees Union (NTEU) and he has been involved with NTEU since 1968. 
Bob Tobias has a proud thirty-one year legacy with NTEU and he has 
improved the workplace for all federal employees. Since 1995 when I 
first came to Congress, I have had the opportunity to work with Bob on 
supporting federal employees and their issues.
  Tonight, several members of Congress from both sides of the aisle 
will pay tribute to Bob and his many victories at the helm of NTEU. 
When my distinguished colleague, Representative Steny Hoyer, and I 
first sent out a request for participation in an evening of Special 
Orders, I was overwhelmed by the number of my colleagues who expressed 
an immediate interest in participating in paying tribute to Bob. It is 
a testament to his ability to work with members of both political 
parties to find a common ground that protects federal employees and 
continues to bring our federal government into the Twenty-First 
Century.
  Every major battle that involved federal employees over the past 
twenty years has included Bob Tobias. He was integral to the creation 
of the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) in 1983, protecting 
the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan (FEHBP), restructuring the 
Internal Revenue Service (IRS), advocating for the closure of the pay 
gap for federal employees, and instrumental in reforming the Hatch Act 
which allows federal employees to exercise their rights to participate 
in political activity.
  Bob has not only encouraged federal employees to become more involved 
politically at both the national and grassroots level, but has also 
pursued litigation as a tool to advance and expand worker interests. 
Bob has not only led the fight in landmark court battles, but before 
the Federal Labor Relations Authority, the Merit Systems Protection 
Board, the Federal Service Impasses Panel, and the Office of Personnel 
Management.
  Under his leadership, federal employees won a federal court victory 
giving them the right to engage in informational picketing; a Supreme 
Court win that overturned the ban on speaking and writing honoraria; 
and just earlier this year, another Supreme Court victory in a critical 
case that established in law the right of federal employees and their 
collective bargaining representatives to initiate midterm bargaining. 
That victory gives employees the same rights that agency managers have, 
and, to a very great extent, levels the negotiations playing field.

  Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned previously, I have worked closely with 
Bob Tobias on numerous federal employee issues. Bob has dual goals that 
he has continually achieved throughout his tenure at NTEU--protecting 
the rights of federal employees, and ensuring that our government 
effectively and efficiently accomplishes its job. It has been my great 
honor to work with Bob in meeting those goals.
  As one of the primary advocates for federal employees, Bob constantly 
reminded us of the necessity of hiring the best and the brightest to 
work in the government, and the necessity of retaining those employees 
who have the knowledge and expertise to get the job done. He and I have 
worked together to keep federal employees in the workforce by making 
sure that they have the same rights, benefits, and protections as do 
their colleagues in the private sector.
  Before I came to Congress, I worked as high-tech executive for a 
government contracting firm in Northern Virginia. We made it our top 
priority to treat our human capital as our most valuable asset. 
Unfortunately, the federal government does not do that with its federal 
employees who often make numerous sacrifices to be in public service. 
Instead, it has always been more popular to ask federal employees to 
sacrifice pay raises, and forego benefits, or to simply perpetuate 
negative stereotypes of federal employees. Bob Tobias has always known 
this is inaccurate and he has devoted his entire career to giving 
federal employees a stronger voice.
  For many years, Bob has sought to educate the members of NTEU and 
federal employees of the importance of participating in the legislative 
process. I have had the opportunity to speak to the Northern Virginia 
legislative leaders as well as those who represent their colleagues 
from across the country at NTEU's annual legislative conference in 
Washington, D.C. It is apparent to me that the legislative program is 
thriving because of Bob Tobias and his commitment to ensuring that the 
voices of federal employees are heard on Capitol Hill.
  NTEU was one of the main forces behind passage of a bipartisan bill, 
signed into law by President George Bush that would close the pay gap 
between the government and the private sector. Since the Federal 
Employees Pay Comparability Act (FEPCA) became law, Bob has fought to 
have the FEPCA language enforced and the pay raises provided for in the 
law fully funded for federal employees.
  During the 105th Congress, Bob and I worked closely together on 
efforts to restructure the IRS and to ensure that the rights of both 
the American taxpayer and IRS employees were protected. Bob sought to 
make the employee's voices heard in the discussions of how to make the 
IRS more customer-service oriented and more responsive to the needs of 
the people it serves. IRS reform continues to be on-track and 
successful. This is in large part because of Bob Tobias' efforts to 
involve the employees at the agency.
  I am certain that he will enjoy many new successes as he pursues 
writing, teaching, and educating a new generation. I am personally 
saddened that I will no longer be working with Bob on the numerous 
issues that affect the many federal employees living in the Eleventh 
Congressional District of Virginia but I wish Bob, his wife, and his 
family well as he pursues new opportunities. I will miss his 
leadership, his commitment, and his expertise.
  Mr. Speaker, I know my colleagues join me in honoring Bob Tobias on 
his retirement as President of NTEU. Bob has been a tireless advocate 
for federal employees for the past thirty-one years, and I would like 
to join my colleagues in saluting him this evening. His dedication to 
federal employees and their issues is second to none. His commitment 
and leadership in the federal employees community will be surely 
missed.

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