[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 84 (Friday, May 14, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E523]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONGRATULATING EDWARD SISCO, SERVICE TO AMERICA MEDAL FINALIST FROM 
                       MARYLAND'S FIFTH DISTRICT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 14, 2021

  Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, I'm proud to represent more than 62,000 
federal employees in Maryland's Fifth District and to have long been an 
advocate for recognizing and celebrating the many contributions that 
federal civilian workers make to our country. That's why I am always 
very excited to participate in marking Public Service Recognition Week, 
which is held each May. It is a moment to thank federal employees for 
their patriotism, their service, and the many essential roles they play 
in creating and delivering opportunities for the American people.
  Each year, the Partnership for Public Service reviews hundreds of 
nominations submitted by federal workers and the Americans they serve 
of outstanding federal civilian employees for recognition in a number 
of categories. During Public Service Recognition Week, the organization 
unveils the list of finalists in each category, and it has named 
twenty-nine finalists this year. The winners, including Federal 
Employee of the Year, will be announced in the autumn. These Samuel J. 
Heyman Service to America Medals, named in memory of the founder of the 
Partnership for Public Service and a champion for those serving in 
government, are affectionately known as the `Sammies,' and they are 
considered to be the government-service equivalent of the Academy 
Awards.
  I am proud to share with my colleagues that one of this year's 
finalists in the `Emerging Leaders' category is Edward Sisco from 
Maryland's Fifth District. A research chemist at the Department of 
Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Ed 
has already made an enormous impact even at only thirty-two years old. 
He developed a novel procedure for testing potentially toxic substances 
faster than thought possible, which has yielded tremendous benefits in 
forensic analysis and protection for law enforcement and forensic 
chemists testing drugs seized in raids. The Thermal Desorption Direct 
Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry (TD-DART-MS) technique that he 
pioneered is already being deployed and is having a major impact on 
criminal justice and laboratory safety.
  Ed and many of his colleagues at NIST are among the thousands of 
outstanding federal employees who call Maryland's Fifth District home, 
and I am proud to join in recognizing his work and his being chosen as 
a Service to America Medal finalist. I wish him all the best of luck in 
the competition, and I look forward to learning the winners in his 
category and all the others, as well as Federal Employee of the Year, 
this fall. While these awards recognize special contributions to our 
country that go above and beyond, I hope all of us who serve in the 
House will remember the contributions and hard work that 2.1 million 
federal employees perform every day in every state and in single one of 
our districts. Each and every one of them deserves our recognition and 
our gratitude.

                          ____________________