Gerald Connolly

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, this simple amendment clarifies that any expanded oil production will not interfere with ongoing operations by the Armed Forces of the United States. I appreciate Congressman Bobby Scott and Congressman Jim Moran for their cosponsorship of this amendment. There are no stronger advocates for the military in my State than those two gentlemen. As you know, the United States has more than two dozen coastal naval bases, including those located in Virginia, Washington, California, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, and Hawaii. The Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Readiness published a report, noting that many of these potential locations for oil exploration could and might conflict with DOD operations in these locations. For example, DOD has surface/subsurface operating areas and DOD special use airspace/warning areas off every coastal State in the continental United States. You can see from this map that there are the red dots where they actually have bases and that the spiderwebs are where they have operations offshore. These areas are important because the military uses some of these areas for surface and subsurface training as well as practice with live ordnance. Oil wells and live ordnance don't mix so well. For example, the Norfolk Naval Base in my home State of Virginia uses 78 percent of the proposed Lease Sale 220 area right now for training and live ordnance practice. The Navy wants to ensure that oil drilling in that area does not interfere with live ordnance release and impact, including air to surface bombing; sensitive undersea and surface operations; combined shipboard systems qualification trials; and equipment testing and evaluation. Norfolk is America's largest naval base and is a major driver of our State's annual $10 billion government contracting economy. It would be difficult to quantify how many billions of dollars taxpayers have spent building and maintaining these military installations all around the continental United States, but relocation costs would be substantial, and we don't have that money. My friend from Alaska talks about putting people out of work or putting people into work. Believe me, if we had to close or relocate these bases, there would be a lot of weeping and mashing of teeth in the unemployment line all across America. The costs wouldn't just be borne by the taxpayers, Mr. Chairman, but also by the servicemen and - women who would have to relocate, and by the tens of thousands of contractor employees who rely on the DOD. Perhaps it's possible to co-locate oil drilling infrastructure in areas now used by the Navy or other components of the Armed Forces. In that case, this amendment would not get in the way of the oil exploration. This amendment simply ensures that any additional oil drilling which takes place in accordance with this bill will not conflict with the national security operations of the Armed Forces. I am sure that energy development and national security can be mutually reinforcing and compatible, and I hope that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle would support this commonsense amendment to protect our national defense and national security. I know we can all agree that preserving those should be paramount as we consider changes to our Nation's energy policy. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. I would just say to my friend from Alaska that I won't have anybody questioning my sincerity about trying to protect the national security interests of the United States of America. I come from a State with a long military tradition. I am proud of that tradition, and I am here sincerely to protect national security. If we want to disagree with that, that's fine, but questioning the motivations of whether there is another agenda is a different matter. Mr. Chairman, I now yield the balance of my time to my distinguished colleague from Virginia (Mr. Moran).

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, this simple motion to recommit ensures that oil companies clean up their mess from their oil spills prior to receiving a new permit under the guidelines of this bill. This is the final amendment to the bill, and if it is adopted, we will immediately vote on final passage. Although we may disagree on the underlying bill, we surely can agree that it is necessary to protect taxpayers who would otherwise have to foot the bill for cleaning up oil companies' oil spills. It's also necessary to protect the individuals whose lives have been directly affected by those spills. To illustrate how important this final amendment is look no further than last year's Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The gulf's fisheries were worth $5.5 billion annually prior to the spill. Shouldn't we require BP to pay those economic damages before it receives another permit to drill again? The gulf coast fisheries supported 200,000 fishing jobs prior to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Shouldn't BP have the responsibility to pay economic damages to those fishermen who may have lost their livelihoods as a result of their oil spill? More than 407,000 residents and 102,000 businesses on the gulf have submitted claims for damages due to the spill, and fewer than half have been paid. Shouldn't BP have to resolve all of those claims before it takes more of our publicly owned oil from America's Outer Continental Shelf? In many cases, payment of claims is the difference, Madam Speaker, between survival and bankruptcy for small businesses. Of the 102,000 of them that claim damages as a result of the gulf oil spill, more than 55,000 submitted claims in excess of $10,000. Losses ranging from $10,000 to more than $500,000 are not trivial, and we should not allow companies like BP to force businesses into bankruptcy even while they seek permission to take more oil from America's Outer Continental Shelf. We still don't know the full extent of cleanup costs resulting from Deepwater Horizon, but the costs continue to grow. Consider how labor intensive restoration is. To help prevent some sea turtles from being wiped out, restoration teams rehabilitated more than 1,000 of them and relocated 14,000 turtle hatchlings to Florida's east coast which was not damaged by oil. More than 4,200 people are still working to clean up more than 544 miles of gulf coastline, and this work is essential to restore the gulf's fisheries and tourist economy. For example, the Coast Guard is still cleaning up tar balls and tar mats from Gulf Shores, Alabama. While we can all appreciate the resources that BP has put into the cleanup to date, it is important that we set a clear standard for the Gulf of Mexico: Oil companies that cause oil spills have to clean up their mess first. We should never allow companies like BP to get away with giving the gulf coast cleanup a lick and a promise or let other oil companies continue extracting America's oil until they have finished cleaning up their mess. If the oil companies responsible for spills do not pay for their oil spill cleanups and private damages, then America's taxpayers will end up paying for it. So we need to send a simple message to oil companies that cause spills: It's your mess; you clean it up. We cannot afford to be subsidizing them at a time when we're wrestling with record deficits and they're experiencing record profits. By passing this simple final amendment to the bill, we'll be honoring the lesson that most of us probably learned from our mothers: If you are responsible for it, you've got to clean it up. And if some oil companies aren't willing to clean up their mess, then they shouldn't get to extract more of our oil, because there are plenty of responsible businesses that would conduct business in a manner that doesn't endanger the livelihoods and lives of nearby residents. Remember, this final amendment doesn't stop a single oil well from being drilled. All it does is ensure that an oil company that caused the spill clean up its mess before drilling new wells on oil on our property; it has to take responsibility for the cleanup. I urge a ``yes'' vote on this simple amendment. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. I am in its present form.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, we've been waiting for 17 weeks for the Republican majority to bring to the floor a jobs bill. I voted against the recess 2 weeks ago because I believe we ought to stay here until we get our job done, which is to create jobs for the American people. What's the majority doing? Last week, they tried restricting a woman's right to choose. Then they attacked health insurance protections. This week, they're trying to repeal commonsense protections that prevent oil spills. Jobs? Nowhere to be found. Last week, Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer unveiled Make it in America. My Build America Bonds legislation is part of that agenda. In the last 2 years, every dollar invested in Build America Bonds leveraged $41 in private sector funds, or $181 billion to construct and repair schools and build bridges and roads in every State in America. These infrastructure improvements created hundreds of thousands of jobs. That's what we need to focus on--not an ideological agenda.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Inova Fairfax Hospital, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Fairfax Hospital was first proposed by a group of concerned citizens who embraced the concept of a not-for-profit hospital. With the strong support of the community, Fairfax County and the federal government, The Fairfax Hospital was built and opened its doors on February 6th, 1961. With a visionary and dedicated group of physicians, nurses, allied health care professionals, management, board members and auxillians, The Fairfax Hospital has become a premier health care institution in the Washington, D.C. area. During the past 50 years, Fairfax Hospital, renamed Inova Fairfax Hospital in 1997, has significantly expanded to 833 acute-care beds and is now the busiest hospital in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It serves as the flagship facility of Inova Health System, which now includes hospitals in Alexandria, Mount Vernon, Fair Oaks, and Loudoun. As the premier hospital serving the Northern Virginia community, Inova Fairfax Hospital includes the Inova Heart and Vascular Institute and the Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children, both of which are internationally recognized facilities, and the Inova Fairfax Hospital for Women. Since its opening, Inova Fairfax Hospital has served as a teaching institution for future health professionals. Currently it partners with the medical schools of Georgetown, George Washington, the University of Virginia and Howard University as well as the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. It also serves as the Northern Virginia campus for the medical school of Virginia Commonwealth University. In addition it is affiliated with numerous nursing, pharmacy and other allied health profession programs and with numerous institutions of higher learning, including George Mason University. Inova Fairfax Hospital continues to expand with construction underway for a new 11-story tower to provide better access and flexibility to meet patient needs. Among its many accolades, Inova Fairfax Hospital has been designated as the Level 1 Trauma Center for Northern Virginia by the Commonwealth of Virginia, awarded Magnet Recognition in Nursing Excellence, and consistently named among the 50 Best Hospitals in the United States by both U.S. News & World Report and HealthGrades. Inova Fairfax and Inova Health System are ranked among the nation's top 100 Military Friendly Employers, Top 100 Companies for Working Mothers, Best Employers for Workers Over 50, and are commonly named among the nation's 100 Most Wired hospitals and health systems. While serving the health needs of an extensive community, Inova Fairfax also is actively involved in the community, partnering with community based programs and Fairfax County Public Schools. Inova also provides more than $200 million in charity care within a single year. I was proud to represent Inova Fairfax Hospital during my 14 years as the chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, and I am pleased to continue that partnership today. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Inova Fairfax Hospital, which the community will mark in a May 11 celebration. For 50 years, Inova Fairfax Hospital has carried out its mission as engraved on its dedication plaque that it is ``dedicated to the relief of human suffering and to the protection and preservation of the health of all who enter its doors.'' I extend my congratulations to the entire Inova Fairfax Hospital family and to Inova Health System and thank them for their continued commitment to our community.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, 1 year after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Americans are paying record gas prices. In northern Virginia, gas that used to cost $3 per gallon now costs more than $4 per gallon. This gas price hike is a result of instability in the Middle East and possible oil speculation and is a reminder of our dangerous dependence on foreign oil. Sadly, our Republican colleagues are not advancing legislation to help our hard-pressed consumers. Their plan would line the pockets of Big Oil, which saw its profits skyrocket 30 percent in line with rising gas prices. Fortunately, there are positive steps we can take to promote energy independence in America and to protect consumers: improve vehicle efficiency, boost production of domestic renewable energy, and convert oil industry tax breaks into gas price relief for our consumers. America owns 1.5 percent of the world's oil but consumes 22.5 percent; so we can't drill our way to energy independence. The only way to end our dependence on foreign oil and reduce gas prices is by improving automobile efficiency and developing new sources of clean, domestic energy. Energy independence is going to depend on reducing our oil consumption and shifting to domestic forms of energy like wind, solar, biofuels, and gas. Energy independence will save consumers money and protect us from the instability of the Middle East. At the end of 2010, Congress extended tax credits for biofuels and the production of wind and solar energy. These tax credits increased wind energy production by nearly 43 percent in just 2 years. So extending them is an important step to increasing the supply of domestic energy. Under the authority of the Clean Air Act, President Obama and automakers recently announced an agreement to improve the efficiency of automobiles by 30 percent by 2016. This agreement will save consumers $3,000 for each car purchased 5 years from now. Here is another way of looking at it: If you could save 30 percent at the pump, better vehicle efficiency would more than offset the recent spike in gas prices. Unfortunately, oil companies and their allies here in Congress are trying to roll back much of this progress. Republican Speaker Boehner forced through legislation which would repeal much of the Clean Air Act, hurting American consumers and undermining our national security. Last week, the leadership in the House passed legislation to short- circuit safety rules for oil production off America's coasts, increasing the likelihood of another Deepwater Horizon catastrophe. Their legislation would also allow oil exploration that would impede naval operations off the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. This week, they want to attempt to pass a bill allowing for more oil drilling even if it interferes with military bases or endangers coastal economies. I do not support reckless efforts to allow unregulated oil drilling which endangers coastal economies and national security. Last week, I introduced amendments to these oil drilling bills. One would strike the anti-safety language and add a provision to repeal $37 billion in oil company tax loopholes. The amendment would remit this money to American drivers. Averaged among licensed drivers, my amendment would give $185 to every licensed driver in America, reducing the equivalent price of gasoline by 27 cents a gallon. The other amendment was written to protect national security. It simply requires that the Commander in Chief, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, certify that before we drill for oil off the coast of Virginia that it does not hamper national security and naval operations. I was shocked that all but a handful of Republicans voted to kill this commonsense amendment. Since the leadership has blocked efforts to include real gas price relief in their oil drilling bills, I am introducing standalone legislation to assist consumers. The bill, entitled the Gas Price Relief Act, would terminate tax loopholes for oil companies while rebating the savings to our hard-pressed commuters throughout America. There are many positive steps, Mr. Speaker, we can take to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, steps that will include clean energy, renewable energy, and efficiency in our vehicles. That's the path we need to take if we are going to reduce our reliance on foreign oil and achieve genuine energy independence.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend The Mason Small Business Development Center for being named the 2011 Small Business Development Center of Excellence and Innovation by the Small Business Administration Washington Metro Area District Office. This award recognizes and honors centers that use innovation to provide quality and effective services to small businesses to help them improve program management and delivery. For more than ten years, The Mason SBDC has helped small businesses throughout Northern Virginia support and business counseling services. It is a successful partnership between the federal government, Commonwealth of Virginia and George Mason University, and it assisted more than 480 small businesses in 2010. The hard work and dedication of the team members from The Mason SBDC has resulted in the retention of more than 1,200 local jobs. The Washington Metropolitan region has greatly benefited from the vitality of the small business sector, and The Mason SBDC is an important part of that success. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in commending The Mason Small Business Development Center and its team members for their efforts on behalf of our nation's small businesses.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Before I yield back, I just want to say I appreciate again the reassurances from our colleague from Colorado, but many of us in Virginia want to be sure. Again, this amendment is simple. It does not stop oil production or oil drilling offshore. It simply requires, first, a certification that the all-important naval base at Norfolk is protected and that the testing bed offshore is not in jeopardy, given the billions of dollars we have invested in national security in that area and its importance to our regional economy. We think it is a reasonable protection, a reasonable measure. I urge adoption of the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, may I ask how much time is remaining.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. I yield 1 minute to my friend from Virginia (Mr. Scott).

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, this simple amendment requires the President, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, to certify that moving forward with Lease Sale 220 will not impede naval or other Department of Defense operations off Virginia's coast. The Department of Defense issued a report which stated that 78 percent of the area of Lease Sale 220 is currently used by the Navy for equipment testing, practicing with live ordnance, underwater training, and other critical operations. There may not be a readily available alternative for live ordnance testing. And, of course, we wouldn't want live ordnance being used near oil wells, now, would we? As you know, Norfolk is the largest naval base in America. It is critical for our national security and has beneficial side effects, obviously, for the regional economy. But billions of dollars have been invested in Norfolk and in that test bed area. Perhaps it is possible for offshore oil exploration or wind energy development to be compatible with continued naval operations. That is why we asked for certification. But if energy development forced the Navy to relocate, our national security would suffer, preparedness would suffer, and billions of dollars of extra cost in Federal expenditures would be incurred. Virginia's economy of course would also suffer, as we could lose more than $10 billion in annual contracting income derived from that base. This amendment ensures that energy development would not cripple naval operations by simply requiring the President with the Secretary of Defense to certify that moving forward with Lease Sale 220 won't impede naval operations and harm national security. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. I thank my colleague. Mr. Chairman, I hate to say it, but what we're hearing here on the floor of the House of Representatives in defense of this legislation is snake oil. Somehow the hard-pressed commuters and consumers of gasoline in this country are supposed to believe that if today we unleash all possibility of oil drilling, gas drilling offshore the continental United States, we're going to be producing thousands of barrels of oil. False. We're going to reduce the price of oil today? Equally false. In fact, there's plenty of evidence that the market that drives oil is relatively inelastic. We heard earlier today on the floor of this House, driving is down, demand is down, supply is up, but so are prices. In fact, if you look at this chart, there's an eerie correlation between oil profits and the spike in the price of gasoline charged to our hard-pressed consumers in the United States. The other side wants you to believe in a smokescreen that somehow their tax subsidy being changed or lifted by our side of the aisle would, in fact, further increase the price of oil. They have low taxes. They have low royalties. They have record profits. How has that worked out for the average driver in America? It's produced record gasoline prices. The Republican policy that will be enshrined today in this legislation has produced these profits and those costs for the average consumer in America. It is wrong, and to argue otherwise is selling snake oil. I urge the defeat of this legislation on behalf of the consumers of America.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. I thank my friend from Colorado for his remarks. But, frankly, if he is so certain of the protections contained in this legislation, then surely this extra special amendment to make sure that Virginia is protected would not find objection on the other side of the aisle. I yield 2 minutes to my friend from Northern Virginia (Mr. Moran).

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Let me congratulate my colleague from Indiana on his eloquence. I don't think it could be better said. Mr. Speaker, 1 year after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Americans are paying record gas prices. In northern Virginia, gas that used to cost $3 a gallon now costs $4 a gallon. This gas price hike is the result of instability in the Middle East and possible oil speculation, and is a reminder of our dangerous dependence on foreign oil. Sadly, our Republican colleagues are not advancing legislation to help consumers. Their plan would line the pockets of Big Oil, which saw its profits skyrocket 30 percent in line with these rising gas prices. Fortunately, there are positive steps we can take to promote energy independence and protect consumers: Improve vehicle efficiency, boost production of domestic renewable energy, and convert oil industry tax breaks into gas price relief for consumers. America owns 3 percent of the world's oil but consumes 25 percent of its global reserves. The only way to end our dependence on foreign oil and reduce gas prices is by improving automobile efficiency and developing new sources of clean domestic energy. Energy independence is going to depend on reducing our oil consumption and shifting to domestic forms of energy like wind, solar, biofuels, and, most importantly, improved efficiency. Energy independence will save consumers money and protect us from political instability in the Middle East. At the end of 2010, Congress extended tax credits for biofuels and the production of wind and solar energy. Those tax credits increased wind energy production by nearly 43 percent in less than 2 years. So extending them now is important for energy independence. Under the authority of the Clean Air Act amendments, President Obama and automakers recently announced an agreement to improve the efficiency of automobiles by 30 percent by 2016. This agreement will save consumers $3,000 for each car purchased 5 years from now. Here's another way of looking at it. If you can save 30 percent at the pump, better vehicle efficiency would more than offset recent gas price hikes. Unfortunately, oil companies and their allies in Congress are trying to roll back much of this progress. Our Speaker has forced through legislation which would repeal much of the Clean Air Act, hurting American consumers and undermining our national security. Fortunately, the Senate will not allow that reckless legislation to become law. This week, the Republican leadership in this House will try to short- circuit safety rules for the production of oil off America's coast, increasing the likelihood of another Deepwater Horizon catastrophe. Their legislation could also allow oil exploration that would impede Naval operations off Virginia's coast and threaten the Chesapeake Bay. I do not support these reckless efforts to allow unregulated oil drilling which endangers our coastal economies and our national security. I will be introducing an amendment in the nature of a substitute. My amendment would strike the anti-safety language and add a provision to repeal $37 billion in oil company tax loopholes. It would remit this money equally to licensed American drivers. Averaged among licensed drivers, this amendment would give $185 to each driver-- the equivalent of reducing gas prices by 27 cents a gallon. There are many positive steps we can take to promote energy independence and reduce the burden of gas prices: Improve vehicle efficiency, boost production of renewable domestic energy, and end Big Oil tax breaks in order to help consumers. We should be taking these positive steps instead of endangering our coastal economies with unregulated oil drilling which would do nothing to affect oil prices.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. I thank my good friend from New York. Madam Speaker, I rise on behalf of the seniors in my community. Before we enacted Medicare in 1965, almost half of all seniors in our country had no health insurance coverage. That's why the creation of Medicare was so important, and now every one of America's seniors has access to quality health care coverage. But today their care is at risk and under assault. The America we enjoy, as the result of the lifetimes of hard work by our seniors, and as they enter their well-deserved retirements, there are those who would callously rip away the commitment this Nation made to them. The Republican budget for fiscal year 2012 is a Path to the Past and will return us to the dark days when seniors agonized over access to health care. The Republican budget ends the guaranteed coverage of Medicare and replaces it with a grossly inadequate voucher system, subjugating seniors once again to the whims of private insurance companies and forcing them to bear the brunt of spiraling health care costs by themselves. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said seniors in 2030 would pay three times more for coverage under the Republican plan. The Republican budget reopens the doughnut hole in Medicare part D, forcing seniors once again to pay thousands of dollars of out-of-pocket expenses for prescription drug medication. I was proud to fix that inequity and eliminate the doughnut hole last year. But the Path to the Past brings it back, roaring back, costing seniors thousands more. But this Republican budget isn't just a cost-shifting trick to transfer the financial burden onto seniors, though it is that. The Republicans would also repeal the important reforms prohibiting insurers from denying coverage for preexisting conditions. That puts every single senior with preexisting conditions at risk. Even those who can afford the increased costs of privatized care, they could find themselves denied that care in the Republican plan. The Path to the Past needs to be rejected, Madam Speaker.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, it is my great honor to recognize outstanding citizens of our community. Each year, the Town of Vienna celebrates the extraordinary contributions of its residents with a ``Volunteer Recognition Day'' to honor those individuals and organizations who have been nominated by members of the community for their commitment to improving the community. Communities are only as strong as the residents who live there. Through their selfless actions, civic activists improve the quality of life for all and help improve their towns and neighborhoods. The recipients of the 2011 Vienna Volunteer Recognition Honors are shining examples of how each of us can contribute to the betterment of our communities. I am pleased to recognize the following individuals for their accomplishments: Robert Borgatti, Harold Bonacquist, Miles Bowen, Sydney Bowen, Linda Collins, Mike Davis, Alma Frank, Laurie Harmon, L.F. Jennings, Steve Kenney, Mark Lander, Ann Martin, Marjorie Midili, John ``Jack'' Reichert, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Tim Sampson and family, John Shults, Susan Stillman, Anne Stuntz, Howard Svigals, Dorothy Evans, Bill Farrell, Mike Garbacz, Julius Hankin, Jean Jennings, Marcie Lee, Harry Mason, Ralph Nider, Eileen (Casey) Tarr, June Terry, Maria Alvarez-Lundie, Diane Eckert, Sara Freund, Cynthia Kohrmann, Sharmila Rao, Deborah Roney, Katie Wolffe, Liz DiFrancisco, Barbara Mackie Franklin and Dan Mulville. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking these individuals and in congratulating them on their contributions to their community. Civic engagement is what defines a community, and it is thanks to these individuals that Vienna will remain a wonderful place to call home. Their contributions and leadership have been a great benefit to our community and truly merit our highest praise.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, the Republican budget for fiscal year 2012 that the House will take up later this week is not a Path to Prosperity. Rather, it is more accurately a Path to the Past. Just like President Bush's ill-fated attempt to privatize Social Security, the Path to the Past eviscerates Medicare, forcing retirees to bear the brunt of cost increases and severely jeopardizing their access to health care, replacing today's guaranteed access with a limited voucher system. Today, thanks to Medicare, every one of America's senior citizens has access to health care coverage. Before Medicare was enacted in 1965, roughly half of all seniors suffered without health insurance. The Path to the Past would send American seniors back to the times of scrambling to find coverage while always worrying how they will be able to afford rising health care costs on fixed incomes. The Republican Path to the Past brings back the doughnut hole in Medicare part D prescription drug coverage. Under the doughnut hole, many seniors have been forced to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket for prescription medication because they weren't covered by part D. I was proud to fix that inequity and eliminate the doughnut hole during the previous Congress. Unfortunately, the Republican Path to the Past brings it back once again, requiring many seniors to pay thousands of dollars extra for their prescription drugs. That's a past Americans don't want. The Republican Path to the Past destroys Medicaid, replacing it with a vastly limited monetary grant to the States, forcing them to either reduce benefits to lower-income families or to reduce the number of eligible families or both. Currently, 34 million children receive health care through Medicaid. From 1997 to 2009, the percentage of children without health insurance dropped from 13.9 percent to 8.2 percent, largely because of Medicaid. The Republican Path to the Past risks the future of millions of America's children by risking that health care coverage. That's a past America does not want. The Path to the Past incredulously blames rising college tuition on efforts to make Pell Grants more accessible to kids and would return the Nation to a system where only the wealthy can afford college. Contrary to what the Republican budget states, college tuition costs have been rising long before the expansion of Pell Grants. In fact, from 2002 to 2007, tuition costs rose 31 percent more than the rate of inflation, the worst 5-year increase in college costs in over 30 years. In response, last year we reformed the student loan program, expanded the Pell Grant program, and allowed hundreds of thousands of students the ability to make higher education more affordable. The Republican Path to the Past returns the Nation to the years of rising tuition without any relief. That's a past America does not want. The Republican Path to the Past ignores the economic recovery under way and indiscriminately slashes investments in ways that Goldman Sachs said will lower economic growth by 2 percent and increase unemployment by 1 percent. During the height of the Great Recession, for several months, 700,000 Americans lost their jobs. According to Mark Zandi, an economist with Moody's Analytics and an adviser to Senator McCain's Presidential campaign, those policies would cost American workers another 700,000 jobs. The Economic Policy Institute projected a loss of 800,000 jobs, while the Center for American Progress said it will cost 900,000 jobs. That's a past America does not want to go back to. The Republican budget proposal, the Path to the Past, returns us to the law of the jungle and the survival of the fittest, throwing the young, the elderly, the sick, and the disadvantaged on their own fates. That's not an America I believe in.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, it is my great honor to recognize the 50th anniversary of Hollin Hall Automotive, a family- owned automobile service station in Fort Hunt, Virginia, with a record of both excellent service to their customers and substantive involvement in the local community. Hollin Hall Automotive was founded on May 1, 1961, by Leon Harvey Sr. and his wife Ruth Ann Harvey. The subsequent success of the Harvey business and their community involvement serve as an inspiration to all in our district. Since the initial investment 50 years ago, Hollin Hall Automotive has witnessed Fort Hunt prosper and evolve from rural farmlands to thriving suburb. The service station has survived the 1973 oil crisis, experienced numerous advancements in technology, and stood the test of time while other businesses came and went. The Harveys have hired many high school students over the years and watched as these same students matured and entered into society as adults. Mr. Leon Harvey, Sr. is no longer with us but he is survived by his seven sons and his wife who continues to run the cash register to this very day. Their son, Tom Harvey, has assumed leadership of Hollin Hall and the business which continues to thrive. Even with the backdrop of Fort Hunt's rapid expansion, the Harvey family and employees of Hollin Hall maintain their personal involvement in their ever-growing community. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 50th anniversary of Hollin Hall Automotive and the exceptional service it has provided to the Fort Hunt community. We wish the Harvey family and continued success in maintaining their local business.