John Berry, an openly gay man who has been nominated by President Barack Obama to head the Office of Personnel Management, encountered a friendly confirmation hearing Thursday.
"It's obvious that this is a joyous moment for those who are here today," said Sen. Daniel Akaka, the Democratic senator from Hawaii who presided over the hearing. About 50-60 people packed the room to support Berry, including his partner, Curtis Yee, Berry's brother and sister, and their immediate families.
If confirmed, Berry would become the first gay person to lead OPM, which essentially serves as the human resources department for the federal government's 1.9 million employees. Sen. Benjamin Cardin and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, both of Maryland, testified on his behalf, and when Senator Akaka gave the two congressmen an opportunity to leave the hearing after giving their testimony, Hoyer declined, saying, "I'm sticking with you, John." Berry served as Hoyer's legislative director for 10 years at the beginning of his career in Washington.
LGBT issues were not specifically mentioned at any point during the hearing, though Berry did speak passionately at one point about treating employees fairly.
"The federal government does have to treat like employees similarly," he said. "We need to work together -- the Congress and the executive branch -- to look at this and ensure that there is fairness across the board."
Berry said it was the "highest honor of my life" when the President called and asked him to serve in this "critically important" position. "I want to be the model employer for the country, for the world in fact," he said. "Everything I will do will flow from that vision."
Following the hearing, observers said the proceedings were noticeably warm and devoid of conflict.
"I've been to a lot of these hearings, and there's just an unbelievable difference in (Berry's) ability to come in here and know exactly what he's talking about," said Beth Moten, the legislative and political director of the American Federation of Government Employees, who has worked with Berry for years. Moten noted that Republican senator George Voinovich could have been much more of an "attack dog" but instead focused on asking substantive questions.
"The long and the short of it is, President Obama could not have made a better pick for OPM," Moten added.
People familiar with the situation say no one has raised any objections to Berry's nomination. The final vote is likely to be taken in the next couple weeks.
