Obama Lauds Berry -- and Feds

Many people in the federal community have stepped up this week to offer words of praise for John Berry as he leaves his post as head of the Office of Personnel Management. Now you can add one more name to the list: President Obama.

In a statement issued Friday, Obama not only lauded Berry for such achievements as overhauling the federal hiring process, he snuck in some praise for federal employees generally, calling them "men and women who devote their lives to vital tasks like securing our borders, curing disease, and keeping the American people safe."

Here's the full text of Obama's statement: 

John Berry has served the American people well as Director of the Office of Personnel Management.  He’s streamlined the way federal employees are hired, modernized the workplace, made the federal workforce more diverse, and increased the number of returning servicemembers hired by the government.  John has been a champion for federal workers – men and women who devote their lives to vital tasks like securing our borders, curing disease, and keeping the American people safe.  This country is better off because of John’s talent and dedication, and I’m grateful to him for his service.