Political Quotes

“I rise today to call attention to the significant contributions public servants make to our Nation every day. Since 2010, I have tried to come to the Senate floor on a fairly regular basis to recognize exemplary Federal employees. This is a tradition started by my friend Senator Ted Kaufman from Delaware when he was here for a few years--somebody who, as much as anybody in this body, having served as a staff member for so long, recognized the enormous value that people who work for our Federal Government provide to our national purpose and to making sure we get things done. Earlier this week, I met with some of these outstanding public servants. Convened under the umbrella of the Performance Improvement Council, I had a discussion with individuals participating in the Leaders Delivery Network and the White House Leadership Development Program fellowships. These senior administration officials, who are working--oftentimes in obscurity--to improve government performance, come together on a regular basis to collaborate and share best practices. Oftentimes on this floor, we talk about costs and budget issues. One challenge I think we don't spend enough time on is oversight. The fact is, there are many folks within the Federal Government who are focusing on improving government performance and making sure that we at the end of that also save resources.…”