[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8328]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     LIBRARY OF CONGRESS EMPLOYEE TRANSITION ASSISTANCE ACT OF 2006

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                    HON. JUANITA MILLENDER-McDONALD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 16, 2006

  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to draw our colleagues' 
attention to legislation I have introduced (H.R. 5328) to make it 
easier for talented, experienced employees of the Congressional 
Research Service (CRS) facing loss of their jobs later this year to 
find positions elsewhere in the Federal government.
  The need for this legislation is both apparent and pressing. In 
September 2005, the CRS, a unit of the Library of Congress, announced 
to 59 support employees that their positions will be eliminated not 
later than September 30, 2006, by a reduction-in-force (RIF) if 
necessary. The CRS Director, Daniel Mulhollan, argues that the 59 
positions have become unnecessary due to technological advances that 
have changed the way CRS fulfills its mission, which is to serve 
Congress.
  Several of our colleagues and I share serious concerns about this 
decision and question the CRS management practices which led to it. 
Since the announcement, I have personally met with affected employees 
and others, many of whom suggested, among other things, that CRS has 
placed insufficient emphasis on training and professional development 
offering opportunities for advancement. Moreover, given the Library's 
history in matters involving racial discrimination, many people inside 
and outside the organization are troubled by the fact that a large 
majority of the affected employees are women, African-Americans and 
other minorities.
  Without debating the merits or demerits of Director Mulhollan's 
decision, clearly Congress should do everything reasonably possible to 
help these dedicated CRS employees to continue their careers elsewhere 
in the Federal government. It is certainly the compassionate and 
equitable thing to do; most if not all of the employees have never 
received an unsatisfactory performance review, and many are sole 
breadwinners who have devoted their entire careers to public service. 
It is also the smart thing to do, from the standpoint of the taxpayer, 
who has invested in these employees over the years, and who would lose 
the value of that investment if the employees were to take positions 
elsewhere. As a former personnel director, I certainly recognize that 
for any organization, including the Federal government, to maximize its 
effectiveness, it needs to attract the most talented people it can, 
invest in those people, and retain them. It makes sense to enable 
talented employees to transfer their skills to other agencies, if they 
wish to remain in Federal service and cannot find suitable positions in 
the Library or CRS.
  The legislation which I have introduced would accomplish two things 
toward that end. First, it would give Library employees who have 
successfully completed a probationary period in a non-temporary 
position ``competitive status'' when seeking vacant positions in 
Executive departments and agencies for which the employees have the 
required qualifications. Currently, service in the Library, a 
Legislative-branch agency, does not confer competitive status, leaving 
Library employees at a disadvantage when competing for vacancies in 
Executive agencies requiring competitive status. The provision would 
become effective immediately, and is designed to assist current CRS 
employees who may wish to apply for positions throughout the 
government, as well as other CRS or Library employees seeking positions 
in the future.
  Second, the legislation would render Library employees (including the 
Congressional Research Service) eligible for a program, administered by 
the Office of Personnel Management for displaced employees in the 
Executive branch, which provides ``special selection priority'' for 
employees facing a reduction-in-force. Thus, Library employees, 
including the CRS personnel facing loss of their jobs later this year, 
would qualify for priority selection to positions across the Executive 
branch.
  Mr. Speaker, in 1990 Congress enacted similar legislation granting 
competitive status to employees of the Judicial branch. It made sense 
then for employees of the Federal courts, and it makes sense for the 
employees of the Library of Congress today.
  Mr. Speaker, my legislation has the support of the Librarian of 
Congress, Dr. James Billington, and Director Mulhollan, who have 
assured me that they will do everything possible to identify suitable 
positions in the Library for the affected employees. I take them at 
their word and hope their efforts succeed for every employee who wants 
to continue contributing to the agency's success.
  This Congress could not discharge its responsibilities without the 
support of the employees of the Congressional Research Service and the 
Library of Congress, who provide unbiased, non-partisan, timely, 
reliable information to its Members every day. As Ranking Member of the 
Committee on House Administration, which oversees the Library and CRS, 
I am eager to see this precious asset preserved, and I trust that 
Library management will do everything within its power to avoid a RIF 
in 2006 or any other year. In the meantime, H.R. 5328 will make it 
easier for the CRS employees now facing loss of their jobs to transfer 
their skills and expertise to other Federal agencies and continue their 
careers in public service. I urge all Members to join in supporting 
this urgent legislation.

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