Congressman Moran's News Commentary

Last week was Public Service Recognition Week, a time to praise and appreciate the work that local, state and federal employees do for their communities and country on a daily basis. These citizens function as the backbone of our system of self-government

In particular, I would like to thank the men and women who serve in our Capital region as federal employees. Home to over 350,000 workers, our system of self-government depends on their commitment, hard work and professionalism. From the first days of our developing nation to today, civil service has been the very essence of public service.

That is why it troubles me to see the negative portrait of "Washington" and public servants demonized for political gain; if it's not the inefficient size of government that is the cause of our nation's troubles it's this city's political patronage and burdensome bureaucracy. From my daily encounters with federal employees throughout this nation, nothing could be farther from the truth.

These federal employees are effective, persistent, and dedicated to supporting our government. They give of themselves not to serve a hunger for power, but instead to be part of something larger than themselves. In truth, civil servants embody the American ideal that though we are individuals, we all belong to something greater that supercedes our own needs.

I offer the example of a young woman I know, who works at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency to keep Americans safe from terrorism. Diagnosed with a remitting Multiple Sclerosis, a devastating disease, she has endured years of medical treatment to return to her job. Despite her physical setbacks, she remains stalwart to her commitment to serve the public at an exceptionally high level.

There's Leopoldo Miranda-Castro, who I have mentioned in this column before, a biologist from Falls Church , who launched a program through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to work with private landowners to restore more than 2,000 acres of tropical habitat in Puerto Rico . A 33 year-old wonderkid who has established himself as a leader in the conservation community, his "Partners for Wildlife" program has introduced agricultural innovations that are being replicated across the United States.

And finally, I recognize that the dedicated staffs of federal agencies and Congress, many of which have their own families to go home to, work well into the evening, helping a citizen with a question about medical benefits or responding to a concern about family members.

These are the portraits of Washington that I am familiar with.

Elected officials will come and go in this town, and ideology will sway back and forth. Our federal workforce is the constant that endures. Federal employees work hard, they sacrifice, and all with little recognition. Without their commitment to our government though, this country would not be the strong nation it is today.

In my time in Congress, I've not been around a better group of people than those that I have worked with in government. I continue to be impressed by their sincerity, inspired by their devotion, and humbled by their selflessness.

Rep. James P. Moran is Virginia's 8th Congressional District Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives.