Sen. Joe Manchin tours Bureau of Fiscal Services | Parkersburg News and Sentinel
PARKERSBURG — There is important work happening at the Bureau of Fiscal Services offices in Parkersburg that helps keep the U.S. government operating, a U.S. senator said Tuesday.
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., was in town Tuesday to tour the local offices of the Bureau of Fiscal Services (the former Bureau of Public Debt) and to speak at the commencement for Parkersburg High School.
Manchin, who sits on the Senate’s Appropriations Committee with Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., was given a briefing about what is happening at the Bureau.
”This visit and to see the quality of work done for the entire U.S. Government and all of the people of America, it is something to be extremely proud of,” Manchin said. ”I know we sometimes take for granted what is in our own backyard, but to have over 2,000 employees here, mostly West Virginians, and the quality of work that continues here in the shared services that is being offered to all agencies throughout government to be able to work more efficiently and effectively is very impressive.”
At a time when operations are being scaled back and cut back in government work, the demand and growth in Parkersburg has been impressive, the senator said.
”It has been enormous because of that service,” he said.
The Senate is not considering any legislation that would impact operations at the Parkersburg offices, Manchin said. The senator said he wanted to meet the people here and get reacquainted with them and “see the quality of the people and the type of work being done here.”
Being on the Appropriations Committee with Capito, they are able to use the information generated in Parkersburg in helping to shape legislation, Manchin said.
”The accurate information we are given GAO (General Accounting Office) that we work with here at Public Debt enables them to say the efficiencies on these issues or in a particular area or agency can be much more greater or much more utilized if they would follow these procedures that have already been adapted and we know work,” he said.
Even with the political partisanship in Washington, D.C., Manchin said, the work at the Fiscal Services offices in Parkersburg transcends those kind of concerns.
”They answer directly to the Department of Treasury in a non-political manner based on the quality of work being done and the type of work that is needed for our country,” he said. ”This process has to be continuous; it has to be something dependable and reliable.
”This one is intricate to how we operate and function and the stability of the monetary system and economy of our country.”
The work done in Parkersburg helps keep the U.S. a world power, Manchin said.
”It is because of the movement of the money,” Manchin said. ”It is that important.”
Manchin said he planned to tell the graduating seniors at PHS to be proud of who they are.
”I want the students to look at themselves and ask if they could have done better,” he said. ”Heck yeah, we could of. I know that. But that was yesterday. How much better can you do tomorrow? Basically, the whole world is out there for you for anything you want.”
Manchin asked what the students did for their country today.
”The reason I say that is surely there is something that you own or that is in your possession that you really take care of, that you really guard and protect because it is that special to you,” the senator said. ”I want to know what you did with the most precious thing you have which is your country.”
Manchin wanted to know if the students helped someone who needed it, especially those hit by hard times. Was there someone they had an argument with that they tried to make up with.
”Let’s give back,” Manchin said. ”Let’s work together.
”It makes them think a little bit. This is a country where you can make all the mistakes you can possibly make and still correct them all and no one holds that to the point you can’t correct the things you have wrong. The path is wide open for what they want to do. We live in the greatest country on Earth,” Manchin said.
The senator said he is looking forward to what these students will do in the coming years.
”They will be the movers and shakers that will make things happen,” he said.
By: Brett Dunlap
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