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With the announcement that Sen. Paul Sarbanes will not seek reelection in 2006, federal employees will lose one of their most steadfast friends in Congress. I have come to admire and respect Sen. Sarbanes and consider him a friend whom I will truly miss when he leaves public service. His five terms in the U.S. Senate make him the longest serving senator in Maryland history, and help make up a distinguished career spanning nearly 35 years as a federal legislator, including his years in the House of Representatives. Sen. Sarbanes justifiably has earned the respect and gratitude of the men and women of the federal workforce, both past and present, by his commitment to fair pay and for a meaningful voice for federal employees in the workplace. For many years, he has been the leading voice and advocate in the Senate on the issue of civilian-military pay parity for federal workers. Without his leadership, the longstanding tradition of such pay parity would not have been developed. A well-regarded expert in financial matters, Sen. Sarbanes has been particularly important as a voice for NTEU-represented employees at federal financial regulatory agencies. Less than two weeks ago, he addressed NTEU chapter leaders and members at our union’s annual Legislative Conference. He spoke words of encouragement at that time, including noting that federal employees have many friends on Capitol Hill. Throughout his lengthy career, during which he made important contributions to our nation, Sen. Sarbanes has himself been among the best of those friends. Federal workers shall miss his counsel and assistance.