The most comprehensive arms control agreement in nearly two decades.

They called the passage of this bill Armageddon.

They called the passage of this bill, Armageddon -- Armageddon, end of freedom as we know it.

Well, let us try to work together.

One of the major reasons was the lack of nursing faculty.

I know your country desperately needs medical professionals, and we are stealing them away.

OPM is deeply committed to modernizing the Federal retirement system and addressing the issues identified in the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) April 2009 report.

Our Nation's civil servants are called on to defend our Nation, restore confidence in our financial system, administer a historical economic recovery effort, ensure adequate healthcare for veterans and others, and search for cures to the…

OPM has not appeared before our subcommittee since 1997.

the last major hurdle that we are trying to defeat right now is management intransigence.

I hope the Federal Government can inspire and lead in this area and show some innovation.

We just don't seem to be ready to make a commitment.

So, Director Berry, the President asked us to give you $5 million for wellness, for pilot programs to deal with smoking cessation, disease management, and the like.

I am going to give you a little bit of a challenge here on a different issue, and it relates to a national problem, which I think the Federal Government can help to address.

If Senator Collins will spare me one little vignette here?

Our focus is on fiscal year 2011 budget request of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

We anticipate a nursing shortage in America that will grow to 260,000 registered nurses, which we will need and not have, by the year 2025.

I had one Senator who was an obstacle. I never convinced him, but I outlasted him and eventually passed in fiscal year 2009 the language necessary for this.