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Democratic

John Sarbanes

Congressman John Sarbanes has represented Maryland’s Third Congressional District in the U.S. Congress since 2007.

He currently serves on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change. He serves as Vice Chair of the House Subcommittee on Health. Congressman Sarbanes also serves on the House Oversight and Reform Committee and its Subcommittee on Government Operations. He chairs the Democracy Reform Task Force, which has assembled HR1, the For The People Act, to reform and strengthen our democracy.

Born and raised in Baltimore, Congressman Sarbanes has experience working in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. He and his family live in Towson, giving him the opportunity to drive home every night and hear from the people he serves in Congress. Listening to their concerns allows him to better represent Maryland and has shaped his work in the House of Representatives.

Federal Workforce

In this increasingly complex and fast-paced world, Americans deserve a government built for the 21st-century. That’s why making the federal government operate efficiently and effectively is a priority for Congressman Sarbanes. Congressman Sarbanes is committed to putting policies in place that improve government operation, help our nation’s dedicated federal workers succeed, and increase the efficacy of our civil-service.

  • Telework: Congressman Sarbanes authored the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010. At its core, the law is about smart government management. Already, the telework reforms have saved taxpayer money by reducing the need for government office space, enhanced the continuity of government operations in the case of an emergency, and improved traffic and pollution conditions in the Baltimore-Washington corridor. Just as important, the law has improved the quality of life for thousands of federal employees, enabling our hard-working civil servants to have a better work-life balance and enhancing recruitment and retention efforts.
  •  Defending Against Attacks on Our Federal Workforce: Congressman Sarbanes is a strong supporter of America’s federal workers. He has routinely opposed politically driven attacks on their pay and benefits. Congressman Sarbanes recognizes that we will have to make difficult choices between competing budgetary priorities, but in making these choices, he believes that we must not compromise those who have dedicated their careers to public service and that we must strive to inspire the next generation of Americans to serve. An effective 21st century government needs the best and the brightest to serve. 
  • Public Service Caucus: Congressman Sarbanes is privileged to serve on the bipartisan Congressional Public Service Caucus – a organization within Congress committed to supporting our federal workforce and ensuring that government functions effectively and efficiently. This role has given the Congressman the opportunity to help shape initiatives improving pay, earned benefits, and other workplace rights for individuals who have dedicated their lives to the service of our government. 
  • Promoting Fairness for Our Nation’s Federal Firefighters: Congressman Sarbanes has authored the Federal Firefighter Flexibility and Fairness Act – bipartisan legislation to correct a longstanding disparity in the treatment of professional firefighters who are employed by States, counties, or municipalities and federal firefighters. “Trade time” enables firefighters to meet personal obligations such as attending a child's birthday or assisting a sick family member without exhausting their annual leave. Currently, federal firefighters are ineligible to participate in trade time. This legislation would amend federal employee labor laws to fix this problem. Correcting this inequity will help federal agencies recruit and retain firefighters, while also ensuring our nation’s federal firefighters are afforded the same flexibility as their brothers and sisters in state, county and municipal fire departments.