Public Service Recognition Week

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, this week, we celebrate Public Service Recognition Week. Each year since 1985, this special week has been observed in honor of our Nation's public servants. Today, I would like to express my sincerest appreciation for the 20.2 million Federal, State, county, and local public servants in the United States of America.

Our country relies on the critical work of the everyday heroes in the public sector workforce, and we owe them a debt of gratitude for their steadfast service. From astronauts to astrophysicists, caseworkers to court clerks, detectives to doctors, servicemembers to superintendents, teachers to transit workers, America's public servants comprise one of our Nation's most critical and often maligned assets. Every American feels the impact of the crucial work public servants perform in all aspects of their lives. Thanks to first responders, servicemembers, social workers, and every public servant in between, over 330 million Americans can rest knowing their loved ones are protected, the rule of law is respected, and that the public sector is here to make their lives more effective.

The talented public servants who tirelessly work to improve our Nation and the lives of the people who comprise it are amongst the bravest and most honorable individuals on the globe.

On their first day of school, our children are entrusted to the teachers who provide them an educational foundation to guide them throughout their lives. When a novel disease impacts our communities, it is researchers who innovate and pursue medical solutions, as our doctors, nurses, and EMTs care for patients on the frontlines. It is our postal workers who deliver critical checks, medication, and information to our veterans and seniors who await the arrival of benefits they have earned.

America's public servants demonstrate their commitment to their communities in a diverse set of essential roles. What all members of the public sector workforce have in common, though, is their motivation to help our Nation progress and prosper.

The public sector workforce--particularly at the Federal level--have a sense of duty and a love of their community and country that compel them. So many public servants could earn higher salaries in private sector jobs, but their motivation is more than pecuniary gain.

At the heart of the U.S. Government are civil servants, individuals who are classified as nonpartisan career Federal employees. These public servants are not committed to a particular ideology or political figure in their official capacity. In recent years, however, these folks have faced threats to their civil service status at the hands of the very partisan influence they are supposed to be protected from.

Civil servants elect to work for the American people first, and they deserve the opportunity to carry out their service without fear of being relieved of duties or retaliation based on nonallegiance to a political party. That is why I commend the Biden administration and the Office of Personnel Management for issuing the final rule in opposition to the previous administration's Schedule F classification.

Our civil servants honorably serve our Nation without political fear or favor. OPM's reiteration of support for nonpartisan Federal employee protections is a crucial victory, not only for the 2.2 million individuals currently under this classification but for every American and the integrity of our institutions.

Every year, the Samuel J. Heyman Public Service to America Medals are awarded to esteemed Federal employees who are recognized by their Agency colleagues and the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service for their distinguished service. This year, the seventh State admitted to the Union--my home State of Maryland--is proud to celebrate seven outstanding individuals nominated as finalists. All of them are highly deserving of recognition for their service.

Today, I would like to take a moment to thank these Marylanders:

Wanda Brown and Darnita Trower of the Internal Revenue Service; Judy Chen and Jay Evans of the USDA Agricultural Research Service; Hari Kalla of the Federal Highway Administration; Marc Levitan of the National Institute of Standards and Technology; and Janet Woodcock of the Food and Drug Administration.

I thank them for their exceptional service to the American people.

Just 7 percent of America's Federal workers are under the age of 30. I join President Biden in urging young Americans to consider careers in public service. We need your talents, your energy, your ideas, and your idealism to ensure that America remains prosperous, secure, and a beacon of liberty for all humanity.

I hope we can all agree that we want the best and brightest to serve. These individuals and their fellow honorees represent the best our Federal workforce has to offer. But we should be grateful for all public servants who are in every State and Territory of our country and who go to work each day determined to make a positive difference for their fellow Americans. We should be grateful all year long.

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