[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17477]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




CELEBRATING THE U.S. GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION'S 60TH ANNIVERSARY

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                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 10, 2009

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, today I am proud to introduce a 
resolution honoring the General Services Administration (GSA) for their 
sixty years of hard work and dedication to federal employees. On June 
30, 1949, President Harry S. Truman signed legislation to create GSA 
and streamline the administrative work of the federal government. The 
Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 took effect 
almost 60 years ago today, on July 1, 1949.
  GSA consolidated the National Archives Establishment, the Federal 
Works Agency and its Public Buildings Administration, the Bureau of 
Federal Supply, the Office of Contract Settlement and the War Assets 
Administration. GSA was tasked with administering supplies and 
providing workplaces for federal employees.
  GSA's original mission was to dispose of war surplus goods, manage 
and store government records, handle emergency preparedness, and 
stockpile strategic supplies for wartime. GSA also regulated the sale 
of office supplies to federal agencies.
  Today, through the Public Buildings Service, Federal Acquisition 
Service, various staff offices and 11 regional offices nationwide, GSA 
provides workspace to more than 1 million federal civilian workers. It 
oversees the preservation of more than 408 historic buildings. It 
facilitates the purchase of high-quality, low-cost goods and services 
from quality commercial vendors.
  GSA has a history of providing environmentally sound or sustainable 
products and services that reduce waste and pollution, and providing 
federal employees with healthy work environments. GSA's efforts to 
design, build and manage federal properties in a sustainable and 
environmentally sensitive manner helps reduce energy consumption by the 
federal government.
  Today, GSA touches the lives of nearly every U.S. citizen by 
providing goods, services, and workplaces at best value to its federal 
agency clients. The GSA has worked to ensure that the federal 
government leads by example--promoting fiscal fitness and environmental 
responsibility throughout the federal government.
  As we mark its 60th anniversary, the GSA is playing a critical role 
in revitalizing our economy. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 
included $5.5 billion for GSA building projects and $300 million for 
energy efficient motor vehicles. Just as importantly, GSA is assisting 
other federal agencies in meeting their goals under the legislation, 
and has used its technical expertise to support Recovery.gov as part of 
the government's commitment to openness and transparency.
  As GSA enters its seventh decade of service, it does so with a new 
slogan: ``A Legacy of Service, a Pursuit of Excellence,'' that 
articulates the agency's storied history and continued excellence on 
behalf of its customers and American citizens.
  I am proud to offer this resolution honoring the men and women who 
work to keep our government running.

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