"Today's approval of the nomination of Mrs. Mary Rose as a Member of the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee brings the Board a step closer to having its full complement of three members. It is essential that the MSPB have three members in order to decide employee appeals effectively and efficiently.

"The MSPB is charged with adjudicating claims by federal employees and ensuring that the federal civil service is grounded in the merit system principles. As such, Mrs. Rose has been nominated to one of the most important positions to federal employees. I expect her to be a strong voice for employee rights and fair employment principles.

"The personnel reforms at the Departments of Homeland Security and Defense would change the rules of procedures and standards of review for employees appealing decisions from these two agencies. The MSPB must be operating at full capacity should it be forced to establish new laws and precedent governing those agencies that fall outside of the traditional civil service rules. Given the challenges facing the MSPB and the federal merit system I plan to continuously monitor the activities of the MSPB and how its decisions will impact the federal workforce."

Senator Akaka is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia which has jurisdiction over the MSPB.