Partnership for Public Service statement on the passing of former Sen. Joseph Lieberman

March 28, 2024

WASHINGTON – Partnership for Public Service President and CEO Max Stier released the following statement today following the passing of passing of former Sen. Joseph Lieberman.

“Senator Joe Lieberman was a distinguished public servant who earned a national reputation as a thoughtful, principled and effective legislator over more than four decades in government.

“Throughout his lifetime of public service, Sen. Lieberman put country above party, working across the aisle to find common ground and get things done for the public. Throughout, his bipartisanship demonstrated why effective government is central to our democracy and collective well-being.

“It was this firm belief in the power of good government that led Sen. Lieberman to advocate for the creation of the Partnership for Public Service in 2001 and support our early work to strengthen the civil service.

“A member of our inaugural board of advisors, the senator recognized the vital importance of career civil servants to our nation and championed solutions to bring young people into government. In 2002, he presided over the official launch of our Call to Serve network, which promotes federal careers to students and recent graduates.

“In 2003 and 2004, he backed the creation of, and co-chaired, a congressional caucus designed to elevate the need for civil service reform—at the time the only caucus in Congress dedicated to federal workforce issues. He also made it a point to celebrate the untold achievements of public servants, attending our Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals® program, the premier awards program for federal employees.

“In his 2000 book, “In Praise of Public Life,” Senator Lieberman wrote of public service as a “worthy pursuit” and an “honorable, constructive, satisfying [and] enjoyable career, deserving the best among us.”

“For more than 40 years, he lived up to this ideal and inspired others to do the same. Sen. Joe Lieberman was, indeed, one of the best among us, and today we pause to recognize his deep impact on our country.”

During the past 22 years, the nonpartisan, nonprofit Partnership for Public Service has been dedicated to building a better government and a stronger democracy. We work across administrations to help transform the way government works by providing agencies with the data insights they need to succeed, developing effective leaders, inspiring the next generation to public service, facilitating smooth presidential transitions and recognizing exceptional federal employees. Visit ourpublicservice.org, follow us @PublicService and subscribe today to get the latest federal news, information on upcoming Partnership programs and events, and more.