Gerald Connolly

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Wynfred Joshua, one of the 2012 recipients of the Defense Intelligence Agency's Torch Bearers Award. This award is presented to individuals who have made significant and lasting contribution to defense intelligence and whose performance also embodies the agency's core values and principles. One of the first defense intelligence officers at DIA, Dr. Joshua retired in February of 1998 after 24 years of dedicated service. An expert on the Soviet Union and strategic nuclear capabilities, Dr. Joshua was a guiding force for DIA analytic teams throughout the Cold War era. Dr. Joshua was known throughout the intelligence community as a person of immense honesty, intelligence, and reliability. Dr. Joshua's leadership and teaching ability also helped conserve our Nation's precious public resources. She developed and implemented a successful program to improve DIA's role in supporting the National Defense University. Her contributions not only enhanced the DIA's status within the Intelligence Community, but also provided the critical intelligence assessments that shaped our national military strategy. Dr. Joshua's dedication to DIA, the Intelligence Community, and the United States is a testament to her integrity, unwavering professionalism, and commitment to excellence. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Dr. Wynfred Joshua and thanking her for her 24 years of service and selfless dedication to the defense of our country. Her distinguished service has greatly contributed to the advancement and prestige of our Nation's intelligence capabilities.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) and to congratulate it on the occasion of its 30th anniversary. Founded in 1982, WRAP is an award winning, public-private coalition formed to fight drunk driving, drugged driving, and underage drinking in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Through educational and innovative public programs, WRAP is credited with keeping Washington area alcohol related death rates consistently below the national average. Programs and resources include Youth Outreach, Adult Outreach, and Public Education programs designed to educate students and the general public on the dangers of alcohol and drugs, particularly driving while under the influence. Through the WRAP Holiday SoberRide program, individuals who are impaired can request a free cab ride home. Since SoberRide was launched in 1993, 55,851 free cab rides have been provided, preventing possible accidents and deaths. In 1982, the year that WRAP was founded, 26,173 people in the United States lost their lives in alcohol-related car accidents; 60% of all traffic fatalities involved drunk driving. Due to the tireless efforts of WRAP, other organizations such as MADD and SADD, local and state police, and enforcement of more stringent anti-drunk driving laws, alcohol-related traffic fatalities decreased to 9,878. Since 1997, WRAP has sponsored an annual Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony to honor local law enforcement professionals who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in the fight against drunk driving. It is my honor to enter the following names of the 2012 Law Enforcement Award of Excellence recipients into the Congressional Record: Officer Brandon Smith, City of Alexandria Police Department Officer Avery Carroll, Arlington County Police Department Police Officer Harold Morris, Fairfax County Police Department Deputy Alexander Brackle, Loudoun County Sheriff's Office Trooper John W. Cabrera, Maryland State Police Officer Roderick Saunders, Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer John Romack, Montgomery County Department of Police Corporal Christopher Lord, Prince George's County Police Department Police Officer Jeremy A. Schenck, Prince William County Police Department Officer Ronald Pisano, United States Park Police Senior Trooper Michael S. Middleton, Virginia State Police Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating the recipients of the 2012 Law Enforcement Award of Excellence and in recognizing WRAP for its 30 years of public service. I commend the staff of WRAP under the leadership of President Kurt Erickson for their tireless dedication to eradicating underage drinking and drunk driving. Their efforts combined with the support of partner organizations and law enforcement agencies have truly saved lives and are deserving of our highest praise and gratitude.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce and to congratulate those members who are being honored for their contributions to the business and local communities. The Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce (NVBCC) is a vibrant organization dedicated to the growth and development of African- American owned businesses in the City of Alexandria and the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William. The Chamber provides leadership, strategic information, technical assistance, networking opportunities, and other support to more than 120 member partners, helping to ensure the growth and success of their businesses. In addition, the NVBCC actively supports area non-profits in efforts to increase the financial literacy and leadership capability of school- aged children in our area. Each year, the NVBCC recognizes its members for their extraordinary success and contributions to the Chamber and our community. It is my honor to enter the names of the following 2012 Business Honor Award recipients into the Congressional Record: Outstanding Emerging Business: Nationwide Insurance--The Brad Ryant Insurance Agency Business of the Year: Valley Green Landscaping Outstanding Corporate Partner: Intelligent Office of Alexandria Outstanding Community Partner: Alexandria-Fairfax County Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc. Member of the Year: Kim de Peiza, Key Concepts Knowlegebase, LLC Member of the Year: Isaac Lewis, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Outstanding Public Partner: Fairfax County Economic Development Authority Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the 2012 Business Honor Award recipients and in thanking each of them for their efforts to strengthen our local business economy and for their commitment to building a stronger community.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and pay tribute to Lyle W. Minter, of Fairfax, Virginia, on the occasion of his retirement after 36 years of Federal service. Mr. Minter's professional achievements are numerous, and I know he would be the first to acknowledge that none of them would have been possible without the support of his wife, Nancy. Lyle graduated in 1975 from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in History. While at the University of Virginia, Lyle was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He received his Master of Library Science in 1976 from the University of Maryland. While at the University of Maryland, Lyle was elected to Beta Phi Mu. Lyle began his distinguished Federal career as a civilian employee with the Department of the Army. He worked as the librarian at two Army posts in Virginia before being reassigned to the Pentagon Library as a reference librarian. He later was selected as head of the Reference Section and managed research support, general reference, and online database searching for the Pentagon Library's 50,000 patrons. Lyle came to the Library of Congress in 1991 as Head of the Government Publications and Periodicals Section in the Serial and Government Publications Division. In that position he managed the automation of the serial binding preparation process and was instrumental in implementing a number of other enhancements and services, which enabled increased access to the Library of Congress collections for Members of Congress and the research community who utilize that institution and its vast collections. Lyle then was reassigned as Head of the Newspaper and Current Periodical Division, where he managed the Library's busiest public service point and implemented such innovations as virtual reference and online collection guides. Lyle came to the Congressional Research Service in 2005 as a Supervisory Information Research Specialist in the Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division where he manages a team of employees who respond to requests from the United States Congress. He has remained in that position until the time of his retirement. Throughout his career, Lyle has been actively engaged in the professional librarian community as a member of the Special Libraries Association (SLA), and he has received several awards for his service. He was elected a Fellow of SLA in 2004 and received the Gale Cengage Learning Murray Wortzel Award in recognition of Excellence in Social Science Librarianship in 2011. Lyle particularly enjoys teaching and mentoring information professionals, and his dedication to mentoring librarians and others in the field of librarianship has been a benchmark of his career. As Lyle begins the next chapter of his life, he intends to spend time with friends and family, teach, travel, and continue volunteering in his community and in his profession. Lyle Minter has excelled throughout his distinguished Federal career, and I am honored to pay tribute to this conscientious and dedicated public servant. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Lyle Minter for his many years of dedicated Federal service. I wish Lyle and his wife, Nancy, continued happiness as they enter this next phase of their lives.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 9th Anniversary of the Pi Lambda Lambda Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. The chapter includes the communities of Prince William County, the City of Manassas, the City of Manassas Park, and Stafford County. Coinciding with the local chapter's 9th Anniversary is the national organization's 101st Anniversary. The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity was founded on Friday evening, November 17, 1911 by three Howard University undergraduate students, Edgar A. Love, Oscar J. Cooper, and Frank Coleman, and their faculty adviser, Professor Ernest E. Just. Together they laid the foundation of an organization based on the core principles of manhood, scholarship, perseverance and uplift. For ninety-eight years, the membership has upheld a strong tradition of friendship and civic engagement. At this year's Annual Achievement Week Banquet, the Pi Lambda Lambda Chapter honors the 2012 Achievement Week Award recipients. These awards are given to the men and women who, through their character and actions, preserve Omega Psi Phi's four founding principles. I congratulate the following individuals on being awarded these honors: The Citizen of the Year Award: Brother Conrado Morgan. The Colonel Charles Young Military Leadership Award: Brother Lieutenant Colonel Leonard Newman III. Omega Man of the Year: Brother Charles Mitchell. Basileus Special Act Awards: Brother Tony Bullock, Brother David Holliday, Brother Robert Reese, Jr., Brother Cozy Bailey, Sr., Brother Leonard Newman III, Brother Adrian Gore, Brother Jimmie Jacobs, Jr., Brother Harvey L. Woodson, Jr., Brother Trevor Hamilton, Brother Bernard Oliphant, Brother Anthony Burgess, Brother Byron Cherry, Sr., Brother Vernon Campbell, Brother Andrew McCall II, Brother Albert Woods, Brother Earl Clark, Brother Erik Noel, Brother Gregory Reid, Brother Lloyd Marshall, Brother Arthur Sobers, Jr., Brother David Ballard, Brother Joseph Boutte, Brother DeSean Davis, Brother Drefus Lane, Sr., Brother Vincent Gordon, Brother William Vaughn, Jr., Brother Joseph Boutte, Brother Derrick Harris, Sr., Brother Conrado Morgan, Brother Rowland Webb, Sr., Brother Stephen Blakely, Brother Crispin Abad, Brother Gregory Reid, Brother Johnny Ledbetter, Brother Matthew Mitchell, Brother Thomas Victor Montgomery III, Brother Jeffrey Allen, Brother Victor Hinton, Brother Robert Melvin, Brother Iven King, Jr., Brother Tyrone Simon, Brother Kenneth West, Brother Simon King, Brother Randall Webb, Brother Lewis Forrest I, Brother Byron Cherry, Sr., Brother Lee Bennett, Jr., Brother Elijah Jackson III. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in conveying our appreciation for eight years of civic service by the Pi Lambda Lambda Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. It is civic groups like the Pi Lambda Lambda Chapter that define the character of our communities and give measure to our generosity of spirit.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am pleased again to join with the distinguished chairman in support of S. 3630. Again, we are honoring service to country. We are honoring bravery and the ultimate sacrifice by a young American, Captain Rhett W. Schiller. I think it is fitting that we do rename a post office to honor the bravery and the sacrifice. Again, I hope to provide comfort to the friends and family members of the late Captain Schiller in this action. With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I would simply observe to my friend, the chairman of the committee, in talking about the 11 percent cut here in the House of Representatives, of course that does not address the lack of productivity here in the House. There are many Americans who might think that that cut is deserved given how little got accomplished in the 112th Congress--one of the least productive Congresses in American history.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. I would inquire of the Chair how much time remains on this side.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. I must say I appreciate the gentlelady's points about cynicism. But Federal workers and the American public might be forgiven for thinking that it is cynical to be decrying a last-minute deal necessitated by the fact that the House has been out for 15 of the last 19 weeks in recess instead of doing its business here on the House floor, which is why we're here today. By the way, I also want to appreciate, because I know it wasn't a cheap shot, and I know that the distinguished chairman of the committee was trying to inform me of the fact that a bill I was not aware of was introduced yesterday. If there is a clean bill introduced by my friends from Minnesota and Pennsylvania simply to freeze congressional salaries, I'm only too happy to cosponsor it. I know that will reassure my friend, the chairman of the committee. I now yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished ranking member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings).

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this bill, H.R. 6726, which seeks to extend the pay freeze on the dedicated men and women of our civil service for the third consecutive year. This is a pig in a poke. From the outset, let me be clear. I strongly support freezing the salaries of Members of Congress. I've signed a letter to do that. And if this bill did only that, I would be an original cosponsor. But it doesn't. The Senate last night did just that. It froze our salaries. But it didn't do this. It didn't extend that freeze for a third year to the men and women who serve our country in Federal service. The bill before us today, which cynically pairs a pay freeze for us in Congress with a continuation of the pay freeze on career civil servants, is yet another tired, duplicative, and cheap shot at our Nation's dedicated Federal workforce. It's one last parting shot in the dying days of this Congress, which cannot die too soon. If Members of Congress and the public simply take a look at the scoreboard, they'll see that, with respect to the deficit reduction, Federal workers not only have borne a disproportionate share of the cost, they've virtually borne the only share of the cost. Federal employees have contributed already $103 billion toward deficit reduction through an extended pay freeze that continues to this day-- and benefit cuts. For example, Federal workers have contributed $60 billion towards deficit reduction as a result of the 2-year pay freeze covering 2011 and 2012. The recent pay freeze extension through March of this year adds another $28 billion. This total also includes the $15 billion contribution that will be made by Federal new hires who, starting next year, will see their pay decrease by 2.3 percent as contributions to their pensions are raised compared to current civil servants, with no commensurate increase in benefits. Meanwhile, this inequity is amplified when one compares the financial sacrifice made by our dedicated civil service to the deficit reduction contributions made by millionaires and billionaires over the past 2 years. I might add, as if it weren't enough, my friends on the Republican side of the aisle actually tried for the first time to finance transit in America--in a transportation bill that died an ignominious and well- deserved death--$50 billion by having these same pension benefit cuts on existing civil servants, which would have added $50 billion more to the deficit reduction cost only apportioned to Federal workers. Meanwhile, if I'm not mistaken, compared to the $103 billion deficit reduction contribution by Federal employees, the deficit reduction sacrifices--that shared sacrifice my friend from Pennsylvania referred to--has demanded of millionaires and billionaires adds up to a grand total of zero. Yet, despite these facts, there are still some attempting to squeeze even more deficit reduction out of Federal workers, even as they seek to protect the millionaires and billionaires who have yet to make any contribution to debt reduction in this country. Republicans in the 112th Congress have treated Federal employees like America's piggybank, dipping into pay and benefits to help pay for everything from the payroll tax cut to unemployment benefits to transit in the transportation bill. Federal employees are on the front line of communities throughout America. They defend America. They serve side-by-side with our military in theaters of war. They put out fires. They process Social Security checks. They deal with the sick and they deal with our children. They protect our borders. I strongly oppose any attempt to cut benefits and wages that Federal employees have earned by providing essential services to all Americans. Given the very small share of the Federal budget represented by Federal employees' salaries, further reducing their pay and benefits is not rational and not an effective way to reduce our Nation's debt. It's picking on them. I urge my colleagues to vote against this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, in order to allow the author of the bill to speak, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. I'm prepared to wrap up and yield back, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I'm worried about the future of the Federal workforce's continued denigration of public service. Continued whacking away at compensation and benefits that make it an attractive career choice for so many young people is going to make it much harder to recruit and retain the skilled workforce of the future. And despite what my colleague just indicated--I'm not quite sure where he got his statistics--the Federal Salary Council, which looks at Federal salaries every year, concluded that Federal employees earned, in 2011, 26.3 percent less than their private sector counterparts and, this year, 34.6 percent less. A CBO study found that people in the Federal workforce with a Ph.D. degree earn 23 percent less than their private sector counterparts, and if you had a bachelor's degree, roughly 23 percent less, and only in the high school level did they actually earn more, 21 percent more. Actually, we've got a problem. As we look at the baby boom generation getting ready to retire, 47 percent of the entire existing workforce is eligible for retirement over this next decade. How will we recruit and retain that workforce if we're going to continue to use them not only as a piggy bank to finance the deficit, but perhaps more disgracefully as a punching bag in terms of disparagement of service? We are far away from John Kennedy's call to serve your country. Mr. Speaker, with that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. If I may inquire, Mr. Speaker, if my colleague on the other side has any other speakers?

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I have an inquiry. How much time remains on this side?

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, before I call on the distinguished Member from Virginia, I would simply note, of course, the productivity I talk about is the productivity of this legislative body, not the honorable men and women who serve us, but for us. And we passed a fewer number of bills in living memory. We have been out for 15 weeks since August instead of doing the people's business. That is one of the least productive records in American history, and no words are going to change that, not in the history books and not in the minds of the American public that is showing its disapproval of that productivity with the low approval ratings of this Congress. I now am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished Member from Virginia (Mr. Moran).

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. I would normally yield, but I would remind my friend, Mr. Speaker, that he would not yield to me when he made his comments about cosponsorship of the piece of legislation, and so I reluctantly will not yield. I now yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch).

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 15 seconds.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, we are about to have a hold- your-nose vote here in the House of Representatives. And many of us are going to wrestle with the problem of making perfect the enemy of the good. We do have an opportunity to stabilize taxation for 99 percent of all Americans, to extend depreciation and investment expansion for small businesses, to make sure that families in America, through the child tax credit, the earned income tax credit, and student loans, are stabilized for their planning in calendar year 2013. The R&D tax credit is extended. So there's a lot in this package that's good. And there's a lot that's not addressed at all in this package. We have a debt ceiling crisis pending. We have a sequestration crisis spending. It must be addressed, or it's going to have a huge drag on the United States economy, and in the case of the debt, once again, revisit the issue of default for the first time in American history. So it's not a perfect package, but it is something that gets us by while we tackle the larger issues in the next Congress. I pray God that next Congress is more willing to compromise than this.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to join with the distinguished chairman in support of S. 3662 to name a postal facility in Westminster, Massachusetts, as the Lieutenant Ryan Patrick Jones Post Office Building. I too join in sorrow at the necessity of having to take this action because of the loss of a promising young life. One can only hope that taking this action will actually provide comfort to his parents and to his family and to his broader community given their terrible loss. We salute the honor and patriotism of Mr. Jones, who was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, and we honor his sacrifice and his service to his country. With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, the start of a new year is supposed to be a joyous occasion. It is time to reflect on the past year, to take pride in our accomplishments and learn from our stumbles. There's a novel thought. Similarly, the start of a new Congress offers us an opportunity to look forward with hope and aspiration for the opportunity to work together--again, a novel thought--to deliver on behalf of those who have put their trust in us. Let's not pull the rug out from underneath both of those things before they've even had a chance to begin. The start of the new year and the new Congress do not have to be colored by the partisanship that's characterized the past year. There is a last-minute absolution to be had if we can seize the spirit of the season and do that which we have done all too little of this past year: compromise, come together. Let's ring in the new year with a fix, albeit a modest one, of the fiscal cliff and start off our new year and new Congress with a proper welcome for our constituents and our colleagues.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3159, as amended, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me start first by thanking my distinguished colleague from Texas (Mr. Poe) for his leadership on this legislation. He and his staff have worked tirelessly to address a range of technical issues so that this bill could be considered under suspension. H.R. 3159 is an important first step in bringing greater rationality and oversight to the foreign aid process. It contains two fundamental reforms to make our programs more efficient, more effective, and better at serving our national interests. The first is to strengthen monitoring and evaluation so that we can be sure our aid is performing as intended. Right now we make most of our aid decisions in the dark. We set budgets year after year without having any idea necessarily what the outcomes might be. This bill requires the President to establish a consistent set of guidelines so that all Federal agencies carrying out development assistance will set measurable goals, establish indicators, monitor results, and evaluate impact. We can make much better decisions about how and where to invest our scarce resources once we know which types of programs are the most cost-effective and produce the best results. The second reform is to increase aid transparency so that everyone can see where we're spending the money and why. There are all too many misperceptions about the size of the foreign aid budget and exactly what it does. This bill will address that. It also requires the President to establish and maintain an Internet Web site that makes comprehensive and timely information accessible to the public. Similar reforms are included in comprehensive foreign aid reform legislation recently introduced by the current ranking member of our committee, Mr. Berman, and myself. They were also included in the State Department authorization bills passed by the full House under the leadership of our outgoing chairwoman, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, in 2009, and reported by the Foreign Affairs Committee in 2011. Both times, these provisions were adopted with strong bipartisan support. The administration also recognizes the need for these types of changes. They've created the Foreign Assistance Dashboard, a Web site that provides accessible and easy-to-understand data about our aid programs. Both the Millennium Challenge Corporation and USAID have put into place their own rigorous evaluation policies. This bill will ensure that all Federal agencies carrying out development programs will adhere to the same high standards, and at a time when there are so many issues that divide our parties and our Nation, I think this is one that we can come together on. Again, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. I reserve the balance of my time. [From The Hill, Dec. 12, 2012] Overhaul of U.S. Foreign Aid is Overdue (By Reps. Howard L. Berman (D-Calif.) and Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.)) At a time when competing government priorities face the chopping block, advocates of effective foreign aid have a responsibility to make the case that aid directly serves our country's long-term national-security and economic interests, and in a cost-effective way. A key goal of foreign aid is to make the right investments that reinforce America's priorities. Unfortunately, the current foreign aid process and the underlying statute are encrusted with legislative barnacles built up over half a century that are messy, conflicting and outdated, and that actually hinder our ability to deliver foreign aid effectively and efficiently. It is time for a complete overhaul. The 21st century requires a foreign aid program that recognizes today's priorities and streamlines the process in the post-Cold War era. For instance, do we still need language in current law, passed in 1961, that requires the president to assure Congress that foreign aid recipients are not ``controlled by the international Communist conspiracy''? The many task forces and policy committees that have examined U.S. foreign aid have cited the myriad goals, objectives and priorities contained in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. The Center for Global Development, for example, identified more than 33 major objectives, 75 priorities and 247 directives relating to foreign aid in the act. And all of this for a miniscule piece of the federal budget. Little wonder, then, that we lack any central focus to our effort and even less of an ability to measure its effectiveness. The Global Partnerships Act of 2012 (H.R. 6644) replaces this byzantine labyrinth of priorities by identifying eight concise goals for development assistance. The legislation simplifies the bureaucracy administering foreign aid by restoring the U.S. Agency for International Development's policy and budget functions and clarifies the roles and relationships of key officials involved in its delivery. In addition, the Global Partnerships Act tackles problems like the lack of transparency, accountability and oversight in the system. It requires the maintenance of an online database of information, easily accessible by the public, with complete information about all forms of U.S. foreign assistance, including an unclassified database on security assistance. This online database would provide detailed information on overhead and administrative costs for overseas projects, ensuring that U.S. taxpayers get the most out of their investment. Opponents of foreign aid say that aid programs amount to little more than handouts. But the purpose of foreign assistance, as President Obama has insisted, must be to create the conditions where it's no longer needed. To do this, our programs should aim to build indigenous capacity in various sectors, with the ultimate goals of country ownership and self-reliance. The Global Partnerships Act emphasizes the importance of country ownership by transforming the donor- recipient relationship to one of partners working toward mutually agreed-upon and beneficial goals. Many believe that foreign assistance is a luxury we can no longer afford in an era of tight budgets and fiscal challenges. They perpetuate the misconception that foreign aid encompasses a massive portion of the federal budget. In reality, this assistance amounts to only about 1 percent of federal spending. Moreover, foreign aid is a critical component of our national-security strategy, which includes three key pillars: defense, diplomacy and development. National-security experts and military leaders frequently extol the importance of foreign aid, recognizing, as former Defense Secretary Robert Gates once said, that ``economic development is a lot cheaper than sending soldiers.'' It is critical that the United States modernize its foreign aid policies and maintain its foreign aid investments. It is also critical that we establish metrics to gauge the efficacy of those investments. There are other countries ready and willing to fill the vacuum that we will leave behind. Foreign assistance is a critical tool in the diplomatic toolkit. A great power must have the tools to act--beyond simply intervening militarily. A streamlined, effective foreign aid template can enhance U.S. values and influence in a dangerous world and help avoid the enormous costs in blood and treasure that inevitably result from military intervention. While admittedly some of our foreign aid investments have been ineffectively deployed in the field over the years, it is beyond dispute that foreign assistance has dramatically lowered infant mortality rates, raised hundreds of millions of people from poverty, extended longevity, created employment and fostered democratic institutions in every corner of the world. Its return is well worth the investment.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. I have no other speakers. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I also rise in support of S.J. Res. 44, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. This resolution provides the consent of Congress for a Memorandum of Understanding reached among a number U.S. states and Canadian provinces to provide for mutual assistance in managing an emergency or disaster. This MOU, which includes states in the upper Midwest and the provinces of central Canada, is very similar to existing cross-border agreements in the Northeast and Pacific Northwest. These agreements provide for the sharing of personnel, equipment and other resources in an emergency or disaster, whether natural or man- made. In the past, they have provided a framework for U.S. crews to help their Canadian counterparts clear roads after blizzards and to deploy search and rescue teams. Mr. Speaker, as all of us know, disasters do not respect political boundaries, and it is in our interest to allow our states to coordinate emergency preparedness efforts with our close friends and allies to the north. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Now it's Newtown, 20 innocents and their six teachers. More tears, more burials, but will we heed its meaning? Will we break the gun lobby spell that has held us in thrall to a psychosis that has left us numb and paralyzed with each passing tragedy? I think so. First step in any recovery program: admit the problem. We have too many weapons with too much ammunition that is unregulated, unchecked, and unjustified. We need to restore rigorous background checks to keep dangerous weapons away from criminals and the mentally ill. We need to close the gun show loophole. We need to facilitate database sharing among law enforcement agencies--Federal, State, and local. Next step: limit access to weapons of mass killing. No hunter needs an Uzi; no citizen needs an assault-style weapon for self-defense. No other civilized society has allowed the argument that any restriction of any kind is a direct assault on our personal liberty, except us. Next: require registration and stiff penalties for failure to secure dangerous weapons in the home or workplace while banning their presence in a select number of public places such as churches, police stations, mental health facilities, recreation and youth centers, government buildings, and--oh, yes--schools. The gun lobby has bullied and intimidated us for too long. Reasonable gun control measures like those just listed provide for public safety; they don't threaten it. The lobby loves to fall back on trite mantras that unfortunately have proved all too effective in silencing any meaningful public debate heretofore: ``Guns don't kill; people do.'' ``Any restriction real or imagined contravenes my Second Amendment rights to bear arms.'' Oh, really? Even Justice Scalia, in writing his unprecedented and deeply flawed Heller opinion, acknowledged that it did not preclude reasonable gun control measures. Even Scalia has had to admit in his originalist interpretation of the Second Amendment he cannot answer whether the Constitution envisioned a universal right to possess rocket launchers, RPGs, stinger missiles, or military assault weapons in our homes. That is the logical fallacy and folly of the argument of unrestricted rights to bear arms without limit. Its proponents allow for no check on this right in the Constitution. Even the First Amendment has limitations. So does this one. We've been lulled into a passivity and fatalism with the logical fallacies and sometimes thuggish tactics of the gun lobby and its extreme right-wing allies at a terrible cost. Each year, guns kill almost 10 times the number of Americans lost on that tragic day in 9/ 11; and each year, we face another massacre: Aurora, Tucson, Virginia Tech, and now Newtown. Time for our outrage to return us to action and reshape this gun culture. It is in our hands.