Gerald Connolly

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Fairfax County Youth Football League and to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Fairfax County Football Hall of Fame. The importance of youth sports cannot be overstated. Participation in organized sports teaches our youth many lessons that will serve them well throughout life. These invaluable lessons include sportsmanship, teamwork, honesty, a sense of belonging, and maybe most importantly, the work ethic instilled by striving for success and working to achieve a common goal. Organized youth sports also contributes to our society; studies have shown a correlation between participation in sporting activities and doing well in school. Some studies indicate that reduction in gang activity can be partially attributed to refocusing at risk youth into organized, supervised activities such as youth sports. I applaud the Fairfax County Youth Football League for the opportunities that they provide to all of our children to succeed and be a part of a team. I also congratulate the following students, coaches and community leaders who are being recognized at the 20th Annual Fairfax County Football Hall of Fame: Fairfax County Football Hall of Fame 2010 Inductees: Jason Witten (NFL Dallas Cowboys, University of Tennessee, Elizabethton High School, Vienna Youth Inc.), Nick Hilgert (Robinson HS), Richard Herman (Ft. Belvoir Youth Sports). Football Official of the Year--Youth Sports: John Page (Fairfax County Football Officials Association). Karl Davey Community Achievement Award: Solomon Thompson, Jr. (President, Blue Collar Objects, Inc.). Tom Davis Meritorious Service Award: Joe Swarm (Director of Student Activities, Marshall HS). Gene Nelson Commissioner of the Year Award: Damian Caracciola (Southwestern Youth Association). FCFHF Awards $1,500 Scholarships: Greg Gadell (O'Connell HS), Cody Canard (Robinson HS), Nick Grinups (Westfield HS) and Emily Andrukonis (Fairfax HS). High School Players of the Year: Kevin Samson (Madison HS), Anton McCallum (Hayfield HS), Josh Hogan (Woodson HS), Brian Laiti (Robinson HS), Hunter Debutts (Episcopal HS), Bo Revell (Battlefield HS). High School Coaches of the Year: Mickey Thompson (Stone Bridge HS), Jim Poythress ( Lake Braddock HS). Youth Players of the Year--Youth Sports: Steven Steenson (Gainesville/Haymarket Youth), Tucker Harrell (McLean Youth Football), Connor McCulloch (Alexandria Recreation), Nicholas Render (Southwestern Youth Association), Devin Saunders (Ft. Belvoir Youth Football), Christopher Wilson (Manassas Youth Football), Nick Bruno (Dulles South Youth Sports), Greg Smith (Ft. Hunt Football & Cheerleading), Max Heinemann (Reston Youth Football), Jordan McIntyre (South County Athletic Assoc), Jake Jenkins (Gainesville/Haymarket Youth), Brendan McCarron (Springfield Youth Club), Michael Ficarra (Chantilly Youth Association), Tylar Thompson (Lee Franconia Football), Andrew Greer (Braddock Road Youth Club), Luke Kaplon (Braddock Road Youth Club). Coaches of the Year--Youth Sports: Dan Puhlick (Gainesville/Haymarket Youth), Brian Edwards (Manassas Youth Football), Chuck Martin (Gum Springs), Derek Wisnieski (Arlington Recreation). Cheerleaders of the Year: Kaylie Canestra- (Gainesville/Haymarket Youth), Imani Carpenter (Southwestern Youth Association), Morgan Clay (Gainesville/Haymarket Youth), Shannon Kelley (Herndon Optimist Club), Gabrielle Turner (- Dulles South Youth Sports). Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating the Fairfax County Youth Football League as well as those students, coaches and community leaders who are being honored at this 2010 Hall of Fame celebration.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, last week I brought the same chart to the House floor to visibly demonstrate how, starting in 2007, the Great Recession destroyed $17.5 trillion of household aggregate wealth in the United States. I noted that it represented a loss of more than $56,000 for every man, woman, and child in America. Trillions of dollars of home equity were lost, retirement savings and college funds lost. As you can see by the red line here, the worst recession since World War II continually destroyed value from American households for seven straight quarters, from June of 2007 until March of 2009; 21 months of lost net worth. The economy was on the brink of collapse, and the tremendous losses to every American household were directly evident. But this Congress acted. And as you can see from the blue line, since passage of the Recovery Act, Americans recovered $5 trillion in net worth during the second and third quarters of 2009. Today I have even better news. Last week, data came out for the fourth quarter of 2009, and once again Americans' net worth increased for the third straight quarter. There was an additional $800 billion returned to American households over just the past 3 months. Let me put this in context. The Recovery Act was an investment in this Nation, in this economy, in the American people, to help bring us out of the Great Recession. It kept hundreds of thousands of teachers from being laid off, including 800 in my own district. That is not just a short-term investment in economic recovery, it is a long-term investment in our communities and in the education of our children. The Recovery Act also provided for thousands of needed transportation improvements. Again, that is a short-term investment in construction jobs, but a long-term investment in our communities and national infrastructure. The Recovery Act's investments, including more than $200 billion in tax cuts, totaled $787 billion, and it will be spent over 2 years time. Where is the return on that investment, you just have to look at the blue line showing $5 trillion in net worth that has been recovered since we passed that bill for American families in the first 9 months of this year. We can now add another $800 billion to that figure for the last 3 months of 2009, nearly $6 trillion in recovered wealth. The recovery of America's net worth is vital to the overall recovery of our economy. Consumer spending makes up 70 percent of our GDP. However, so long as consumers' net worth remains depressed, consumer spending will naturally suffer. When consumer spending suffers, businesses pull back and lay off employees. It is a tragic downward spiral, one that unfolded starting in the Bush administration in 2007. But this chart, this blue line of recovery shows we are back on the right track. Despite historic blizzards that many thought would imperil the recovery, retail sales actually increased 0.3 percent in February, outpacing expectations. Housing prices increased 7 straight months, reversing 22 straight months of decline. New orders for manufactured goods are at their highest level since 2008. The manufacturing index has been growing for 6 straight months, and manufacturing jobs have been growing for 3 months. GDP grew at 5.9 percent, its fastest growth in 6 years, in the fourth quarter of 2009. And today, the stock market is up more than 70 percent since its March of 2009 low. We are not out of the woods yet, and we have some ground to cover before the value of the economic losses are fully recovered. But we are making steady progress, as we can see from this chart. We must now continue on that path to restore financial stability for our residents and the economy as a whole.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bipartisan legislation, compensating those Federal transportation employees who were unfairly furloughed on March 1 and 2 because of a lapse in the Highway Trust Fund. I also want to thank my good friend, the chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Mr. Oberstar, and the ranking member, Mr. Mica from Florida, for their great leadership and for their sensitivity. I want to thank Mr. Coble from North Carolina for his support on this on a bipartisan basis. Their leadership is critical to resolving this problem. As the chairman has indicated, H.R. 4786 is a simple, commonsense bill. It would compensate the 1,922 Department of Transportation employees who were forced out of their jobs for 2 days because of political gamesmanship on the other side of the Capitol. These employees were spread across four agencies at the DOT: the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Research and Innovative Technology Administration. These employees were furloughed through no fault of their own. They became unwitting victims of an arcane practice in the upper Chamber that allows one Member's objection, irrespective of merit, to grind to a halt the work of the American people. As my colleagues will recall, an objection by one Senator from Kentucky led to the lapse of authorization for the Highway Trust Fund despite the objections of 21 of his Republican colleagues, a majority of the Republican caucus, who supported the ultimate extension on a 78- 19 vote. This bill does two simple things: It authorizes those workers who were furloughed to be compensated at their normal rate of pay for the 2 days in which they were laid off, and it ratifies actions taken by DOT during those 2 days to maintain minimum essential services. The Congressional Budget Office says this legislation has no new costs associated with it, as the chairman indicated, as the funding will come from existing expenses. By taking action now, this Congress will prevent a 20 percent cut in the next biweekly paycheck for these dedicated public servants. There is a clear precedent for this type of restorative action dating back to the much longer government shutdown in the late 1995-early 1996 period during the Clinton administration. During that period, there were two funding gaps totaling 26 days which affected more than 800,000 Federal workers. As part of the final appropriations bill for FY 1996, the Republican-controlled Congress restored compensation for those employees. It was the right thing to do then, and it is the right thing to do now. I thank Chairman Oberstar for his leadership and for his collaboration and generosity on this important legislation. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and yield myself as much time as I may consume. This resolution, introduced by my good friend and colleague from Texas, Ruben Hinojosa, marks the tragedy of a second powerful earthquake in as many months to strike a country in the Western Hemisphere, this time our close friend and ally Chile. On February 27, an 8.8-magnitude tremor struck just 70 miles away from Chile's second largest city, Concepcion, and has left a terrible toll in its wake. The Chilean people have a long history of resolve in the face of past earthquakes. Last month's quake was one of the largest ever recorded, and the worst to hit the country since a 1960 earthquake, the strongest ever measured. The tsunami and aftershocks from this quake, one of which measured 6.3 this past Friday, led to the declaration of a state of catastrophe for this economic and political leader in Latin America. The Chilean people are now faced with an unprecedented challenge to recover and rebuild, and they deserve our support. Official casualty estimates number in the hundreds, while another 2 million people, including as many as 1.5 million displaced persons, were directly affected by the temblor and the crashing 19-foot waves that soon followed. In addition to the human toll, estimates of the cost of physical damage range from $15 to $30 billion, including the destruction of entire coastal villages, damages to roads, bridges, residences, and other infrastructure. The international community rallied behind Chile with financial contributions, donations of telecommunications equipment, and offers of expert technical help in the immediate aftermath of this 120-second quake, which was 500 times more powerful than the 7.0-magnitude tremor that hit Haiti just over 6 weeks prior. In this context, it is important to highlight Chile's generosity in dispatching some of its own outstanding earthquake rescue teams to Haiti in that country's time of desperate need just weeks before. It is also worth noting that Chile's embrace of good governance, and specifically its ability to create, implement, and enforce strict building codes played a major role in mitigating the effects of this terrible event, which could have had so much more by way of loss of lives. In spite of this epic natural disaster, the Chilean people and their government remain committed to the principles of unity and rebuilding their lives and restoring their country. This resolution makes it clear that as they go about this critical task, the United States stands with them. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution, and reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam 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

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues for their thoughtful comments on this important matter. I want to thank the ranking member, my friend from Florida (Ms. Ros- Lehtinen), for her leadership on this matter. Before I yield back the balance of my time, I also want to thank both the majority and minority staffs of the committee for their fine work, and I want to thank my own staff member, Hera Abbasi, for her fine work, especially on our albinism resolution.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to my friend, the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney).

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my friend, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes).

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1107. I would like to begin by thanking my good friend and ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Ms. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, for her leadership in introducing this important resolution which marks the 189th anniversary of Greek independence. I am pleased to announce that, moments ago, the administration accepted Greece as a participant in the Visa Waiver Program. As the birthplace of democracy, Greece stands alone among nations in its influence over our modern American Government. Our Founders fashioned our society based in significant part on the political experience and philosophy of the ancient Greeks. Today, we stand here in a room surrounded by images of some of the greatest thinkers of world history, many of them Greek. We stand in a building inspired by ancient Greek architectural designs. We continue to legislate today under Greek ideals of democratic governance. The Greek contribution to world culture is hardly limited to politics. From the ancient works of Homer, Plato, and Aristophanes, to the sculpture of Praxiteles, to the ethical sensibility of Hippocrates, to the mathematical insights of Archimedes and Pythagoras, we are indebted to the Greek nation for its scientific, philosophical, and artistic contributions to the development of the finest aspects of civilization. The Greek-American bond, inspired by the ancients, remains vibrant today. Throughout the modern era, Greece has been one of the United States' strongest allies, supporting us in every major international conflict. Today, our two nations express their mutual commitment to safeguarding democracy and freedom through a partnership in NATO and through bilateral defense cooperation. Situated at the crossroads of three continents, Greece holds a strategic position in the Mediterranean region. Over the past decade, Athens has pursued path-breaking diplomacy that has resulted, for example, in meaningful rapprochement with neighboring Turkey. In that regard, we especially want to welcome to Washington Prime Minister George Papandreou, who is visiting us this very week. As foreign minister in the 1990s and in the first years of this century, Mr. Papandreou was essentially the architect of that rapprochement with Turkey. Thanks largely to his vision, the threat of war in the Aegean, a near constant for many decades, has now diminished. In a remarkable gesture of friendship and reconciliation, Prime Minister Papandreou, newly elected last fall, made Turkey the site of his very first Prime Ministerial trip abroad. As we commemorate today the 189th anniversary of Greek independence, we would be remiss if we failed to acknowledge the rich contributions of Greek immigrants and their descendants to the United States. Their accomplishments are a testament to the greatness of their land of origin. Madam Speaker, I extend anniversary congratulations to Greece, an ancient country of noble traditions. I join with all Americans and democracy lovers throughout the world in celebrating Greek heritage and our thriving Greek-American friendship. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1107) recognizing the 189th anniversary of the independence of Greece and celebrating Greek and American democracy.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. I want to thank my friend and colleague from Florida for her cooperation and support and leadership on this issue. I have to say, just on a personal note, there are many issues I thought I would face when I came here to the United States House of Representatives; this was not one of them. It is an incredible tale, but it is something that we can do something about by bringing pressure to bear on the governments in East Africa. I thank my friend from Florida in helping to make that happen today.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and yield myself such time as I may consume. House Resolution 1088 shines a light on the untold horrors men and women with albinism have faced and continue to face in East Africa where human beings with albinism are butchered and their body parts sold for profit. These acts of brutal murder are best told through the story of a brave Tanzanian mother, one of the few survivors of the attacks. I had the honor of meeting a survivor of one of these attacks, a young woman from Tanzania named Mariamu Stanford, who epitomizes the essence of bravery. These horrific acts, like the crime committed against Mariamu, are perpetrated by shamans who believe that the body parts of people with albinism have magical powers and can be mixed in potions to bring the buyer good luck. Rural villages have strong incentive to harvest the limbs of their neighbors with albinism because a single limb can sell for as much as $2,000, a king's ransom in Tanzania's countryside. Mariamu, who has albinism, is one of the few survivors of these attacks. Her story is one of fear, horror, and unbelievable courage. She told me her story through an interpreter the last day of the first session of this Congress in December. One night in October of 2008, when Mariamu was sleep with her toddler son, a group of machete-wielding men from her own village broke into her home and attacked her. They cut off both of her arms while she struggled, screamed and shielded her 2-year-old from the blows. It was 6 long hours after the attack before Mariamu, who was 5 months pregnant, was able to receive any medical treatment. In the end, she lost her unborn baby, but she survived; and she is now relaying her story in the hopes that these brutal crimes against people with albinism will come to an end. Mariamu came to the United States for a visit thanks to the generosity of many, including some of my constituents from northern Virginia with albinism and some who are parents of children with albinism, several of whom are here today in the gallery. While she was here for nearly 2 weeks in December, Mariamu was fitted with prosthetic arms donated by the Orthotic Prosthetic Center in Fairfax County, Virginia; and she underwent intensive physical therapy. She is a rare survivor of a horrific and inhumane crime that is of growing concern in East Africa. More than 54 people with albinism have been butchered in the region, most of them women and children. In November of 2008, a 6-year-old girl was shot dead in Burundi's eastern province of Ruyigi, close to the border of Tanzania. Her attackers removed her head and limbs, leaving only her dismembered torso. In January of 2009, three men armed with machetes killed an 8-year-old boy in Burundi and smuggled his limbs into Tanzania. Every one of these stories borders on the unbelievable and, quite frankly, must turn every stomach of those of us who have to hear them. Not only do people with albinism face violence in parts of the world, but they are also at high risk for medical complications such as skin cancer and poor vision due to the lower melanin levels in their skin. In East Africa's harsh sun, this is a lethal combination, but oftentimes people with albinism have no choice but to expose themselves to the sun with little protection as they must be outside to work, go to school, and attend everyday business. Unfortunately, the medical issues that people with albinism face are the least of their worries. The threat of brutal violence looms over them at all times. Tanzania Prime Minister Mizengo Peter Pinda has condemned, correctly, this violent crime against people with albinism, but judicial and enforcement barriers remain. My meeting with Mariamu and local families concerned about her plight, and albinism in general, has moved me to take action. I am contacting President Obama and the State Department to urge them to place diplomatic pressure on Tanzania's federal and local governments to end these crimes now, these crimes against humanity, and to provide education to dispel the myth that body parts of those with albinism have any special properties. I also believe we must look at providing humanitarian and medical assistance to people with albinism in East Africa, with a focus in Tanzania where most of these crimes have occurred. To this end, I introduced House Resolution 1088, a resolution recognizing the plight of people with albinism in East Africa, condemning these murders and mutilations, and advocating remedies to bring an end to this heinous and misguided behavior. Specifically, the resolution urges governments in East Africa, particularly the governments of Tanzania and Burundi, to take immediate action to prevent any further violence against persons with albinism and to bring to swift justice those who have engaged in such reprehensible practices. It also calls upon those governments, along with international organizations and other donors, including the United States, to actively support the education of people with albinism about the prevention of skin cancer and provide appropriate levels of assistance toward that end. Finally, it urges the United States to work with the governments of East Africa and international organizations and other donors to eliminate violence against people with albinism. I urge my colleagues to join Mariamu Stanford and me in bringing international attention to this horrific abuse of human beings and to bring those who have perpetrated that violence to justice by voting ``yes'' on this measure. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1088) recognizing the plight of people with albinism in East Africa and condemning their murder and mutilation, as amended.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate our colleague from California (Ms. Chu) for her leadership on this issue. I was in Mexico just about 1 year ago, and clearly the unfolding violence is something that ought to be of great concern to every American. It is just on the southern part of our border, and frankly it is something that is very alarming in its scope and in its unparalleled violence. I thank our colleague from California for bringing this once again to the attention of the United States Congress.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. I yield an additional 30 seconds for my colleague to sum up.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu).

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. On December 31, Mr. Agustin Roberto ``Bobby'' Salcedo, a high school vice principal and school board member, and a young leader of several local organizations, was brutally murdered while on a family vacation in Durango state, Mexico, at the hands of violent men with ties to Mexican drug cartels. While enjoying the company of family and friends at a restaurant in the city of Gomez Palacio, Mr. Salcedo and five other patrons were taken hostage by a group of masked, armed individuals. They were all subsequently killed execution-style, their bodies discovered in a field a few hours later. This incident is a tragic example of the drug-related violence that is plaguing Mexico today. Reliable estimates suggest that more than 16,000 people have died in drug-related violence since President Felipe Calderon declared a war on drug traffickers in January 2007, including almost 8,000 deaths in 2009 alone and over 1,000 so far this year. Many of those killed each year are associated with the drug trade, but there has been an alarming increase in the number of innocent bystanders who have become victims of the violence, including Mr. Salcedo. Last year, more than 500 women and children were killed by these cartels. The Department of Justice has identified the Mexican cartels as ``the greatest drug trafficking threat to the United States.'' Indeed, these cartels are major producers and suppliers of heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana to the United States drug market and the major transit country for 90 percent of the cocaine sold in the United States. In light of horrific events such as Mr. Salcedo's senseless murder, which the FBI continues to investigate, alongside Mexican authorities, we must continue to seek justice for all American citizens and other innocents harmed by drug-related violence. Mr. Salcedo was a respected member of his El Monte, California, community, and an inspiration to so many of his students. His friends and family deserve to see that his murderers and their patrons are brought to justice. The United States must continue to work with Mexico to break the grip of the powerful drug cartels, curtail violence, reduce arms trafficking from the United States to Mexico, and diminish the demand for drugs throughout North America. It is important that we express our solidarity with the Mexican people and government who are on the front lines of the fight against the cartels, and that we work together closely to address the drug- related violence that has had such a devastating effect on both of our countries. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1032) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should continue to assist the Mexican Government in fighting the drug cartels and curbing violence against Mexican and United States citizens, both in the United States and abroad, as amended.