ms. jeanne goldberg senior attorney advisor in the office of legal counsel of the eeoc and our second panelist is mary beth maxwell blade assistant deputy secretary at the department of labor pamphlet to ask you to to the panels to raise their right hand and swear and affirm the information you are about to provide to the commission is true and accurate to the best of your knowledge and belief. is that correct? ms. goldberg at the floor. >> thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. the commissions congressionally mandated role is to enforce title vii of the civil rights act of 1964 as well as the other federal employment nondiscrimination laws. collectively these laws enforced by the eeoc prohibit discrimination based on race color sex religion national origin age disability genetic information and reprisal for protected activity. for eeo charges against state and local government employers the commission investigates and mediates and where appropriate litigates selected claims if we cannot obtain a conciliate it -- for eeo complaints against federal agencies eeoc administrativ