May 11, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 88 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session
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SENATE RESOLUTION 569--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT, DURING PUBLIC SERVICE RECOGNITION WEEK, PUBLIC SERVANTS SHOULD BE COMMENDED FOR THEIR DEDICATION AND CONTINUED SERVICE TO THE UNITED...; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 88
(Senate - May 11, 2020)
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[Pages S2343-S2344] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] SENATE RESOLUTION 569--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT, DURING PUBLIC SERVICE RECOGNITION WEEK, PUBLIC SERVANTS SHOULD BE COMMENDED FOR THEIR DEDICATION AND CONTINUED SERVICE TO THE UNITED STATES Ms. SINEMA (for herself, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Peters, Mr. Carper, Mr. Romney, Ms. Harris, Ms. Rosen, Ms. Hassan, and Mr. Cardin) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to: S. Res. 569 Whereas the week of May 3 through May 9, 2020, has been designated as ``Public Service Recognition Week'' to honor employees of the Federal Government and State and local governments and members of the uniformed services; Whereas millions of public servants have worked and continue to work to help the United States overcome the challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic; [[Page S2344]] Whereas Public Service Recognition Week provides an opportunity to recognize and promote the important contributions of public servants and to honor the diverse men and women who meet the needs of the United States through work at all levels of government and as members of the uniformed services; Whereas millions of individuals work in government service and as members of the uniformed services, in every State, county, and city across the United States and in hundreds of cities abroad; Whereas public service is a noble calling involving a variety of challenging and rewarding professions; Whereas the ability of the Federal Government and State and local governments to be responsive, innovative, and effective depends on the outstanding performance of dedicated public servants; Whereas the United States has recently reaffirmed the critical importance of public service employees in responding to public health and economic challenges; Whereas the United States is a great and prosperous country, and public service employees contribute significantly to that greatness and prosperity; Whereas the United States benefits daily from the knowledge and skills of the highly trained individuals who work in public service; Whereas public servants-- (1) fight disease, including COVID-19, and promote better health; (2) promote economic stability and growth; (3) defend the freedom of the people of the United States and advance the interests of the United States around the world; (4) provide vital strategic support functions to the Armed Forces and serve in the reserve components of the Armed Forces; (5) fight crime and fires; (6) ensure equal access to secure, efficient, and affordable mail service; (7) deliver benefits under the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 301 et seq.), including benefits under the Medicare program under title XVIII of that Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.); (8) protect the environment and parks in the United States; (9) enforce laws guaranteeing equal employment opportunity and healthy working conditions; (10) defend and secure critical infrastructure; (11) help the people of the United States respond to and recover from natural disasters, pandemics, and terrorist attacks; (12) teach and work in schools and libraries; (13) develop new technologies and explore the Earth, the Moon, and space to help improve knowledge on how the world changes; (14) improve and secure transportation systems; and (15) assist veterans of the Armed Forces; Whereas members of the uniformed services and civilian employees at all levels of government-- (1) make significant contributions to the general welfare of the United States; and (2) are on the front lines in the fight to defeat terrorism and other threats to the security of the United States, and maintain homeland security; Whereas public servants work in a professional manner to build relationships with other countries and cultures in order to better represent the interests and promote the ideals of the United States; Whereas public servants alert Congress and the public to government waste, fraud, and abuse, and dangers to public health; Whereas the individuals serving in the uniformed services, as well as the skilled trade and craft employees of the Federal Government who provide support to their efforts-- (1) are committed to doing their jobs regardless of the circumstances; and (2) contribute greatly to the security of the United States and the world; Whereas public servants have bravely fought in armed conflicts in the defense of the United States and its ideals and deserve the care and benefits they have earned through their honorable service; Whereas public servants-- (1) have much to offer, as demonstrated by their expertise and innovative ideas; and (2) serve as examples by passing on institutional knowledge to train the next generation of public servants; and Whereas the week of May 3 through May 9, 2020, marks the 36th anniversary of Public Service Recognition Week: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) supports the designation of the week of May 3 through May 9, 2020, as ``Public Service Recognition Week''; (2) commends public servants for their outstanding contributions to the United States during Public Service Recognition Week and throughout the year, especially in 2020 during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis; (3) salutes government employees and members of the uniformed services for their unyielding dedication to, and enthusiasm for, public service; (4) honors government employees and members of the uniformed services who have given their lives and health in service to their communities, States, Tribes, and the United States; (5) calls upon a new generation to consider a career in public service as an honorable profession; (6) encourages efforts to promote public service careers at every level of government; and (7) supports efforts to promote an efficient and effective public service that serves the people of the United States. Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, in honor of Public Service Recognition Week, I rise to express my gratitude and appreciation for the millions of men and women who serve as Federal, State, county, and local government employees across the United States of America. Since 1985, Public Service Recognition Week has brought communities together to give tribute to our Nation's public servants on the first week of May. I am proud to be a co-sponsor of the annual Senate resolution marking this occasion each year, and I thank Senators Sinema and Lankford for their leadership in introducing this year's edition, which the Senate will pass momentarily. We must never take for granted that public servants are committed to serving the public. In a time of unprecedented crisis, with millions working from home and the real risk of falling victim to disease by going into the workplace, public servants work for us. In more ordinary times, with people less concerned but still dependent on essential public goods such as clean water, schools, and a safe community, public servants work for us. The COVID-19 pandemic only makes more apparent what has always been true: we owe so much, from the daily operations of our society to the rapid relief to emergencies, to the men and women who form our public service. Now more than ever, public servants are working on the front lines, often times potentially putting themselves at risk, to continue those daily operations of our society and provide critical rapid relief to this immense national crisis. At the Federal level, they have dutifully taken on the responsibilities charged upon them by Congress through the CARES Act. Thousands of workers at the Department of Treasury and Small Business Administration, making due with insufficient staff and resources, are playing an instrumental role in responding to the economic downturn by distributing billions of dollars in stimulus payments to individuals and loans to small businesses. At the state level, workers of State unemployment insurance agencies now face truly historic demands of their abilities as the unemployment rate approaches levels not seen since the end of the Second World War. Despite the stress, despite the technical challenges, and indeed despite the system infrastructure that makes it exceedingly difficult for applicants to receive benefits in the first place, these workers are doing everything they can to make the system work for people. And at the county and local levels, public servants are striving to ensure compliance with special quarantine orders and offering testing and other emergency services. The United States will undoubtedly overcome this pandemic. But we must recognize that it would not happen without our public servants. We have the example of Nancy Sullivan, resident of Bethesda, Maryland and an employee at the National Institutes of Health, honored this year as a finalist for the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals for developing a highly effective medical treatment for the deadly Ebola virus that ravaged Africa between 2014 and 2016. I have no doubt that we today enjoy the service of brave public servants who will contribute similarly in finding a breakthrough for COVID-19. Or for that matter, the innumerable public servants across our Nation, across countless fields and areas of expertise, from senior executives to call center workers, each in their own way working for the public interest of America. Public Service Recognition Week therefore bears a special significance in 2020. It is my hope that amidst the pandemic, we are able to reflect on the absolutely essential role our public servants play, and that this does not go forgotten once we emerge from this crisis. The men and women who make up our public service are fighting for us every day, just as they were before the crisis, and just as they will be afterward. Either we can take their work for granted or, perhaps, we can remember to fight for them, too. ____________________
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