[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 51 (Wednesday, May 3, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E702]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    PUBLIC SERVICE RECOGNITION WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES P. MORAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 3, 2006

  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, this week marks ``Public Service 
Recognition Week,'' offering our Nation the dual opportunities to 
reflect on the richness of the public workforce and the upcoming 
challenges that it must confront.
  The landscape of our Nation is not just dotted, but layered with the 
work and faces of our public servants. It is easy to forget, but 
Americans are served every single day by public servants at the 
Federal, State, county and city levels, The efforts of teachers, 
laborers and police officers blend into the fabric of our lives 
seamlessly, The bravery of our Coast Guard saving people from rooftops, 
doctors guarding us against the advancement of epidemic disease and the 
men and women in the military protecting our Nation stand out as acts 
of true heroes. These people are all contributing to a common vision of 
making our Nation a better place to live. They are all public servants.
  While this week is a celebration of the public servant, it would be a 
lost opportunity not to use this focus to address an ominous problem. 
Our public workforce is aging quickly and in the next 10 years all 
sectors will face a great ``retirement tsunami.'' In the Washington, DC 
region, 60 percent of the Federal workforce will be eligible for 
retirement with ninety percent of its senior executives reaching 
retirement age. Across the Nation, State and local governments are 
experiencing similar retirement forecasts.
  The race to replenish these lost workers and their institutional 
experience is proving formidable. Alarming statistics suggest that the 
next generation of American workers is turning a blind eye to public 
service. Just 27 percent of young people say that someone has asked 
them to consider government employment, an 11-point decrease since 
2002. Further, only 3-in-10 young Americans say that they would work in 
the public sector rather than the private sector. While we have begun 
to acknowledge the cliff we are preparing to walk off, I'm not certain 
we understand its true depth.
  This challenge requires a new appeal to the American worker. A 
revival of public service is necessary, one that flows through 
corporate boardrooms and college hallways. President John F. Kennedy 
summoned a generation of people to give of themselves to the common 
good. Now is the time to seek a similar commitment.
  I believe in public service and in people who contribute to an effort 
greater than themselves. As we progress deeper into this new century 
facing new and sometimes unforeseen challenges, our Nation will have to 
rely heavily upon the strengths of our public servants. We must be 
ready to answer that call.

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