Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, Congress is charged with overseeing the executive branch. This includes overseeing the general management and operations of government agencies. For the success of our government's missions and Federal programs, we must have a competent and skilled workforce to deliver services to the American people, defend our Nation, and execute the laws passed by Congress. However, agencies lack the tools to identify and hire the best candidates to fill these positions. The problem is that hiring for the Federal civil service has over- relied on the paper credentials and self-administered job proficiency assessments of candidates. The reintroduced Chance to Compete Act of 2023 ensures agencies use objective, skills-based assessments to evaluate job candidates. The private sector already uses such structured interviews, knowledge tests, and writing samples for the hiring process. It is time for the Federal Government to do so as well. Agencies should be able to hire professionals that can do the work, and there are many ways to build the right kind of professional expertise. H.R. 159 represents one of those rare bipartisan legislative reforms that targets a specific problem, implements tested solutions, and reflects private-sector best practices. The bill codifies and improves upon the policy initiatives begun in the Trump administration and which the Biden administration is continuing to implement.…”