[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 186 (Tuesday, November 14, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1563]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    RECOGNIZING THE EMPLOYEES OF THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 14, 2017

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate all of the 
award winners from the U.S. International Trade Commission who were 
recognized last week, on Tuesday, November 7, 2017, at their annual 
Career Service Awards Ceremony.
   The employees at the U.S. International Trade Commission are on the 
front line of enforcing our U.S. trade laws and addressing a wide 
variety of trade-related issues. U.S. trade laws protect American 
workers from unfair trade practices and support communities that 
manufacture and produce the products that power our national economy 
and that are essential to supporting our national security. The 
dedicated employees at the U.S. International Trade Commission 
investigate allegations of unfair trade practices against countries 
from around the world, and their work is essential to defending good 
jobs throughout our country, including steel and manufacturing jobs in 
the First Congressional District of Indiana.
   Last week, I was pleased to be able to attend their 2017 Career 
Service Awards Ceremony, which recognized the outstanding 
accomplishments of the International Trade Commission staff from the 
past year. For example, the ceremony presented Quality Step Increase 
Awards to individuals that received a permanent increase in their rate 
of pay in recognition of high quality performance above that ordinarily 
found. The ceremony also presented Superior Accomplishment Awards based 
on an act, service, or suggestion that contributes to the efficiency or 
other improvement of government operations. I would note that under 
this category, an award was presented to the Carbon and Alloy Steel 
Cut-to-Length Plate team for providing high quality work products, 
meeting aggressive statutory deadlines, and adroitly overcoming 
numerous analytical challenges with a high-profile case that involved 
the greatest number of countries for a single case in more than a 
decade.
   Additionally, the ceremony presented employees with Length of 
Service awards, including 40 Years of Service awards for Judith M. 
Bryant, Deborah A. Daniels, Jean H. Jackson, Myra D. Lay, and Deborah 
A. McNay, 45 Years of Service awards for William W. Gearhart, Jr., and 
Linda D. Powell, and a 50 Years of Service award for Tyrone F. Coward.
   I also would like to call attention to the Distinguished Service 
Award winners, Karen Attardo, Attorney-Adviser in the Office of 
Administrative Services, and Vu Q. Bui, Investigative Attorney in the 
Office of Unfair Import Investigations. This award is the second-
highest honor that can be conferred upon an employee and recipients are 
chosen by senior management in recognition of notable contributions. 
Further, I would like to recognize Jennifer Rohrbach, Program Manager 
in the Office of Operations, as the recipient of the Commissioners' 
Award for Exceptional Service. This is the highest honor that can be 
conferred upon an employee and recipients are chosen directly by the 
Commissioners in recognition of distinguished and exceptional service.
   Mr. Speaker, I believe that our former colleague and my friend from 
Indiana Lee Hamilton said it best when he stated that public service 
``is not just a way of life, it is a way to live fully.'' I am 
incredibly grateful for the invaluable, diligent, and thorough work of 
all of the employees at the U.S. International Trade Commission. I 
thank all of them for choosing to have a career in the service of our 
country and again congratulate all of the award winners for their 
exemplary performance.

                          ____________________