Daniel Akaka: “I wish to join my colleague in the House, Congressman Danny Davis, to introduce the Senior Executive Service Diversity…”

“I wish to join my colleague in the House, Congressman Danny Davis, to introduce the Senior Executive Service Diversity Assurance Act to improve the management of the Senior Executive Service, SES, and enhance its diversity. For years we have known that the Federal SES does not reflect the diversity of our Nation. The Government Accountability Office released reports in 2003 and 2007 showing that the percentages of minorities in the SES are inconsistent from agency to agency and not reflective of the diversity of the potential pool of applicants. While we have seen some gains in the area of women in senior positions, the 28 percent of women in the SES is far less than the national average. And for minorities in senior level career positions, the gap is worse. Twenty-one percent of the potential applicants are racial and ethnic minorities while only 16 percent of the entire SES are minorities. As agencies think about the next generation of SES, it is important to be reminded of the need to recruit a talented and diverse pool of candidates in order to bring fresh perspectives into our Government's leadership roles. In serving the diverse population of America, we need diverse leaders to improve the way the Federal workforce serves our country. It is well known that the Federal Government is facing an impending retirement wave. Ninety percent of senior level employees will be eligible for retirement in the next 10 years.”