 Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. I should have worn a white beard and a red coat. Thank you all very much. It's really a pleasure for me to welcome to the White House individuals like you, to whom we owe so much. In an era when every penny counts, you whom we honor today are the true heroes of the hour. Your dedication and achievement deserve the recognition and respect of your fellow citizens. And that's what presidential rank awards are all about. Limited government, a fundamental theme of American democracy in no way suggests a compromise in the professional standards of those services provided by government. In fact, it mandates even higher standards. And today we acknowledge that even though cutting waste and seeking new efficiencies has become a top priority, we remain ever mindful that no less than excellence is acceptable in the performance of those in the public sector. You recipients of presidential rank awards personify that excellence. Achieving our goal, which is lean and efficient government, depends to a great degree on the persistence, energy, and selfless spirit of our federal employees. These awards help us recognize those of you at the highest level of civil service who have taken us farthest toward that goal. You whom we honor today have demonstrated exemplary management of scarce resources, a skill that's critical to our viability as a nation. Your performance in this time of constraint has provided leadership that we hope others will follow. Whether in automating your operation, establishing better procedures, or ferreting out waste and fraud, you've shown the way. The senior executive service is the best government has to offer. And as winners of the 1984 presidential rank awards, you're among the best of the best. I'm personally proud of each and every one of you. Your commitment, I know, extends beyond your immediate accomplishments, which we recognize today. But please accept these awards as recognition and thanks for all those times in your career when you put out that extra effort and went the extra mile. I looked over the citations and was deeply impressed. As a group you're making real, the promise made to the American people that this administration would not simply carry on government as usual. You've saved American taxpayers enormous sums of money. And you've done it across government, throughout the departments and agencies. Seeing how adept you've been at cutting costs and how much you've saved the government, you couldn't get yourselves elected to Congress, could you? I, through your victories, you award winners have touched the lives and improved the lot of millions of your fellow citizens. These awards represent the appreciation that we all have for what you've done. And on behalf of all Americans, please accept a hearty thank you for a job well done. And now with Don Devine's assistance, I'd like to present you this year's awards. Thank you very much, Mr. President. It's my honor to present to you the 1984 Presidential Rank Award Winners for Distinguished Service, the first Joseph E. Bishop from the Department of the Treasury. Second, John G. Davis, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Judson C. French, Department of Commerce. Richard A. Hastings, Department of Education. Donald L. Euston, United States Department of Agriculture. Ralph C. Johnson, Department of the Air Force. Kelly C. Cameron, Agency for International Development. Robert S. Kenneson, Department of Housing and Urban Development. James E. Kingsbury, National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Dale F. Kinney, Department of the Army. Richard L. Lewis, the Second, Department of the Army. Roger L. Plate, Department of Treasury. Thomas P. Quinn, Department of Defense. Raymond G. Romatovsky, Department of Energy. Barbara S. Selfridge, the Office of Management and Budget. Thomas E. Utsman, NASA. Willis J. Willoughby Jr., Department of the Navy. Monroe Woods, United States Department of Agriculture. And Albert Zamberlin, the Veterans Administration. Mr. President, these are your award winners. And again, thank you all very much and a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you.