Daniel Akaka: “as we celebrate Public Service Recognition Week and the dedication and professionalism of Federal employees, I rise…”

“as we celebrate Public Service Recognition Week and the dedication and professionalism of Federal employees, I rise today to introduce legislation to reassert protections for Federal employees and applicants for Federal employment against discrimination based on one's sexual orientation. The Clarification of Federal Employment Protection Act will spell out the protections that Federal employees currently have but have been denied by the Office of Special Counsel, OSC. I am pleased that Senators Lieberman, Collins, Levin, Leahy, Feingold, and Clinton are cosponsoring this important legislation and that Representative Henry Waxman, Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is introducing a companion bill in the House. When Congress passed the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, it established a list of prohibited personnel practices, personnel actions that were clearly not in line with the Merit System Principles and were subject to prosecution by OSC.”