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Washington, D.C.—Hundreds of members of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU)—joined by a senator and six House members—rallied in front of the U.S. Capitol today in support of the nation’s federal workforce and in opposition to proposed massive cuts in funding for their agencies. The rally theme was ‘Proud to Work for America.’

“You came to Washington to send a message to Congress that the work we do is important to the American people,” NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley told the rally participants who held signs in support of federal workers and the services they provide to American citizens.

The rally was a highly-visible and vocal part of NTEU’s annual three-day legislative conference, which began yesterday with nearly 400 NTEU members from around the country.

President Kelley was joined in speaking to the rally crowd gathered on the West Front of the Capitol by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.); Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.); Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.); Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.); Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.); Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.); and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). President Kelley called each of them an “unrelenting advocate” on behalf of federal employees.

Sen. Cardin captured the sense of the rally when he noted that federal employees did not contribute to the nation’s debt, and said “I stand with you because you are on the frontlines for America.”

The sentiment was echoed by other speakers. Rep. Moran said “there is no better time to be focusing on the value of public employees working for the American public,” and Rep. Hoyer—taking note of the ongoing struggle over the collective bargaining rights of public employees in Wisconsin—said “every working American is represented by the union movement.”

In that context, Rep. Hoyer cited higher pay and stronger benefits, and safer workplaces and better working conditions as examples of the broad-based achievements of the union movement for all working Americans.

Rep. Sarbanes reminded the crowd that “we cannot rebuild this country to what it needs to be without the work of public employees” and Rep. Edwards drew cheers when she said “you cannot balance the budget on the backs of working Americans.” In this ongoing fight, Rep. Edwards added, “we are standing shoulder-to-shoulder, toe-to-toe and union card-to-union card.”

At yesterday’s conference opening session, President Kelley announced the union’s 2011 legislative agenda, which includes a focus on federal pay and potential furloughs; agency funding and contracting out; the need for statutory collective bargaining rights for employees of the Transportation Security Administration; federal employee health insurance issues; matters impacting federal retirees; and the impact of financial regulatory reform.

As the NTEU members meet with their congressional representatives this week they are sharing these priority issues. Additionally, they are carrying twin messages regarding government funding: deep budget cuts, such as those contained in legislation approved by the House last month and covering the balance of this fiscal year, would hurt the most vulnerable citizens and dampen the economic recovery—while a government shutdown, which has been averted for the next two weeks by approval of a short-term continuing resolution, would hurt not only every American, it would put at risk the nation’s future.

“We want to make sure that we deliver the message here today that the work we do is important to the American people we are proud to serve and they don’t want a government shutdown or deep slashing cuts like those passed by the House in its 2011 funding bill two weeks ago; cuts that would mean furloughs and layoffs and the inability to deliver critical agency missions,” President Kelley said.

NTEU is the nation’s largest independent federal union, representing 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments, including thousands of employees in financial regulatory agencies.