 Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States. Thank you very much. Oh, please. I assume that you've all been in here long enough to get warm. Just walking across the street of my voice quavers, it isn't emotion. I'm cold. But good morning and welcome. It's always a pleasure to meet with the people who are responsible for making our government work. The ability of this or any other administration to succeed is no small measure. It depends on the energy, the dedication and the spirit of our federal employees. Government service is a partnership. In other words, a relationship between political leaders who do most of the talking and career employees who do most of the work. When we speak of government, we may think of an impersonal bureaucracy with lots of regulations and paperwork. But just as this is a government of the people, it's also a government run by people. People like you who've committed your lives and your careers to jobs that are vital to our nation. Your work is government. And without you it would come quickly to a halt. Even if there were no awards like those for today, most of our federal employees would still do their best working to give our citizens honest government. People don't choose government service for prestige and glamour or recognition. They're not trying to get rich, they're just trying to make a difference. And that's important. In this centennial year anniversary of the civil service, we should remember that government is only as good as the people who make it work one day at a time. Government must limit what it does, but it still must perform its responsibilities with care and professionalism. You can't have good programs without good people. You're the good people. And the Presidential Rank Awards provide the opportunity to recognize your great services to our nation. And it gives us a chance to show our appreciation for your contributions, your imagination, and your hard work. These awards also provide an incentive for all federal employees to help us improve the effectiveness of government. There's always room for improvement. You haven't earned your awards by luck. It's because of exceptional performance. The nearly 7,000 members of the senior executive service are among the finest group of executives anywhere. To be singled out and selected for the prestigious Presidential Rank Award is an honor. You have good reason to be proud, and America is fortunate to have you on our team. You've searched for ways to reduce the growth of the budget, and you succeeded. You've looked for more efficient ways to run programs, and you've found them. You've tried to better serve our citizens, and you're doing it. From the Johnson Space Center to the Fish and Wildlife Service in Anchorage, Alaska, and from the Department of State to the VA Medical Center in Gainesville, Florida, you are on the front lines, day in and day out, setting high standards for us all. Ladies and gentlemen, you're what is best about government. The commitment and determination of individual citizens in service to our nation. Through your efforts, we can make today's federal government a model for the generation that will follow us, and I'm counting on you and so are the American people. So I, God bless you, and thank you all very much for all that you are doing. Thank you very much, Mr. President, and it's my pleasure to introduce to you the best in the federal government. First, Mr. Lawrence F. Ayers, Deputy Director, Management and Technology of the Defense Mapping Agency. William D. Bittenberg, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Policy, Budget and Administration, Department of the Interior. George J. Bradley, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Internal Affairs, Department of Energy. As Mr. Brown arrived, he is Deputy Director of the Bureau of Political and Military Affairs for State. I hope it isn't something too serious that's kept him away. Next, John E. Carson, Director, Office of Finance and Management, Department of Agriculture. Thomas P. Christie, Deputy Director, General Purpose Programs, Office of the Secretary of Defense. Philip B. Culbertson, Associate Deputy Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Alfred R. DeAngelis, Deputy Commissioner of Customs, Department of the Treasury. Richard D. Luling, Deputy Administrator, Region 2 Environmental Protection Agency. William J. Dirks, Executive Director for Operations, Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Louis D. Inoff, Deputy Commissioner, Programs and Policy, Social Security Administration, Department of Health and Human Services. Robert N. Ford, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division, Department of Justice. Kenneth S. Geller, Deputy Solicitor General, Department of Justice. Milton N. Goldberg, Executive Director, National Commission on Excellence in Education. G. Phillips Hanna, Chief Labor Branch, Office of Management and Budget. David C. Hardison, Director, Concepts Analysis Agency, Department of the Army. Anthony L. Italag, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Budget, Department of Health and Human Services. Harriet G. Jenkins, Assistant Administrator of Equal Employment Opportunity Programs, NASA. Beryl W. Hayes, Technical Director, Naval Weapon Center, Department of the Navy. S. Neal Hozenbowl, General Counsel, NASA. Seymour J. Lorber, Director, Product Assurance and Test, Material Development and Readiness Command, Department of the Army. Glenn S. Leni, Manager, Space Shuttle Program, Office, NASA. Thomas E. Malone, Deputy Director, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services. Robert L. McPhail, Administrator, Western Area Power Administration, Department of Energy. Norven Meyer, Assistant Deputy Administrator, International Programs, Department of Agriculture. Carrie P. Modlin, Assistant Director for Budget Review, Office of Management and Budget. Robert O. Oswald, Jr., Technical Director, Electronics Research and Development Command, Department of the Army. Joseph P. Popel, Deputy Controller, Department of the Air Force. Jay Malcolm Randall, Director, VA Medical Center, Gainesville, Florida Veterans Administration. R. T. Rollins, Jr., to accept for him Mr. J. Morris, Agency for International Development. Keith M. Schreiner, Regional Director, Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, Alaska, Department of Interior. H. Joe Shelby, Senior Deputy Controller for National Operations, Department of the Treasury, accepting for Mr. Connor. Eugene Selvin, Assistant to the Deputy Director of Science and Technology for Experimental Research, Defense Nuclear Agency. Lee B. Spencer, Jr., Director, Division of Corporate Finance, Security and Exchange Commission. Diane K. Stee, Deputy Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Department of Transportation. James P. Turner, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, Department of Justice. James W. Vaughn, Deputy Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, Department of Energy. Charles E. Weithoner, Associate Administrator for Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation. Mr. President, these are your awardees for the Distinguished Rank Award recognition for the government. Merry Christmas.