[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 59 (Monday, May 3, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S4764]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

                                 ______
                                 

          20TH ANNIVERSARY OF PUBLIC SERVICE RECOGNITION WEEK

 Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, today marks the beginning of Public 
Service Recognition Week, which has been celebrated annually since 
1985. It is a time in which we honor the hundreds of thousands of 
public servants who perform the essential services that Americans 
depend on every day.
  This year marks the 20th anniversary of this event, and I thank my 
colleagues for their support in passing, under unanimous consent, 
legislation I introduced to commend public servants for their 
dedication and continued service to the Nation during Public Service 
Recognition Week. The resolution, which was cosponsored by the 
leadership of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, Senators 
Collins, Lieberman, Fitzgerald, Durbin, Voinovich, Levin, and Coleman, 
as well as Senator Murray, the ranking member of the Transportation, 
Treasury, and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, was 
introduced on April 8, 2004.
  Public Service Recognition Week provides us with an opportunity to 
acknowledge the work that public servants perform and their commitment 
to community and country. The work they do affects all of us. Public 
servants include teachers, members of the Armed Forces, civilian 
defense workers, postal employees, food inspectors, law enforcement 
officers, firemen, social workers, crossing guards, and road engineers.
  These men and women are the backbone of what makes America great. 
They deserve our respect and gratitude; and yet for too long, public 
servants have not been given the recognition they deserve. We must do 
all we can to foster a better understanding of public service among all 
Americans and promote public service as an option for young people. As 
a former educator, I believe it is time to call on a new generation of 
Americans to consider public service, which is why I am pleased that 
some schools are now requiring a period of public service in order to 
graduate.
  The Federal Government should be viewed as an employer of choice, not 
as a safe harbor in times of economic weakness. But to attract, retain, 
and train the best and the brightest, Federal agencies must have 
adequate funding for Federal employee incentive programs, such as the 
repayment of student loans. I call on my colleagues to ensure that 
Congress plays an active role in supporting the Federal workforce. 
Eliminating funding for these programs does not benefit Federal 
employees or the ultimate end user: the American taxpayer.
  In closing, I wish to pay particular attention to the men and women 
who serve in our Armed Forces and the civilian employees who support 
military missions. All are key to the security and defense of our 
Nation. From the war against terrorism to the ongoing conflict in Iraq, 
our military and civilian support staff show courage in the face of 
adversity. As with the country's Armed Forces, Federal employees are 
ready, willing, and able to make the world safe.
  As we begin Public Service Recognition Week, I ask my colleagues to 
join me in saluting our Nation's public servants and thanking them for 
the jobs they do.

                          ____________________