[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 90 (Wednesday, May 10, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 30027-30028]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-10087]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 90 / Wednesday, May 10, 2023 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 30027]]


                Proclamation 10573 of May 5, 2023

                
Public Service Recognition Week, 2023

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Every day, more than 20 million dedicated public 
                servants in small towns and big cities across our 
                Nation go to work to make sure that America works for 
                all of us. From teaching our children and delivering 
                the mail to controlling air traffic in our skies, 
                overseeing our elections, fighting fires, keeping our 
                streets safe, and defending our country in uniform, 
                these remarkable Americans are the lifeblood of our 
                democracy. This week, we honor them and celebrate all 
                they give to this country.

                I have had the great privilege of working with public 
                servants who lift up others and so seldom seek 
                recognition or personal acclaim in return. I have also 
                witnessed the sacrifices of families who serve 
                alongside them, like those who uproot their lives every 
                few years when a family member's job calls on them to 
                find a new home, and law enforcement families who wait 
                bravely for loved ones to come back from their shifts. 
                Public servants embody the timeless creed of this 
                Nation found in the words of President John F. Kennedy: 
                ``Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what 
                you can do for your country.''

                At a time when public servants are facing threats and 
                hostility simply for doing their jobs, their continued 
                willingness to serve is even more meaningful and 
                important. We have an obligation to support them and to 
                recognize and value their commitment and sacrifice. Our 
                Nation's future depends on ensuring our public servants 
                have good jobs with competitive pay and benefits, along 
                with the resources they need to accomplish their work. 
                It also depends on the next generation of smart, 
                dedicated people answering the call of public service 
                and joining their ranks, helping deliver the promise of 
                America to more of our citizens. That is why my 
                American Rescue Plan provided $350 billion to State, 
                Tribal, and local governments to keep public servants 
                on the payroll and make vital new hires--including 
                first responders, teachers, and public works employees. 
                My Safer America Plan calls on the Congress to provide 
                our law enforcement officers with more mental health 
                and wellness resources and to recruit and hire 100,000 
                more police officers for safe, effective, and 
                accountable community policing, consistent with the 
                standards of my policing Executive Order.

                Meanwhile, my Administration is taking steps to 
                protect, empower, and rebuild the career Federal 
                workforce. I issued Executive Orders increasing the 
                minimum wage for Federal employees to $15 per hour, 
                making Government jobs more competitive and giving 
                hardworking Americans more breathing room. To ensure 
                public servants reflect the diversity of the 
                communities they serve and to draw on the full range of 
                talent we have across our Nation, I took executive 
                action to protect Federal employees against 
                discrimination on the basis of gender identity or 
                sexual orientation, and launched a Government-wide 
                initiative to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and 
                accessibility in the Federal workforce. And I 
                established a White House Task Force on Worker 
                Organizing and Empowerment, led by Vice President 
                Harris, to strengthen the right to unionize among 
                Federal Government workers. To ensure that employment 
                in the Federal workforce continues to be

[[Page 30028]]

                based on merit, skill, and experience--and does not 
                become politicized--I have also called for legislation 
                to protect the integrity of the civil service.

                Public servants so often come out of school with debt 
                that can take more than a decade to pay off, so my 
                Administration has also worked to fix the Public 
                Service Loan Forgiveness program. To date, we have 
                helped over 450,000 public servants--including 
                teachers, first responders, nurses, and members of the 
                military--get nearly $31 billion in loan forgiveness.

                These actions are all part of my plan to build a 
                country that rewards work and not just wealth, 
                especially for those who dedicate their lives to 
                improving the lives of others. These are investments in 
                America's future. When we support our public servants 
                with the recognition and resources they deserve, our 
                loved ones are safer in their communities, our families 
                are more likely to get the high-quality services they 
                need in a timely manner, our economy is stronger, and 
                we put ourselves on a path to win the race for the 
                future.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 7 through 
                May 13, 2023, as Public Service Recognition Week. I 
                call upon all Americans to celebrate public servants 
                and their contributions this week and throughout the 
                year.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand 
                twenty-three, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and forty-seventh.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2023-10087
Filed 5-9-23; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F3-P