Barbara Comstock

Mrs. COMSTOCK

Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, as the mom of a daughter with a biology degree major and with a master's degree in forensic science who is now working in the STEM fields, I ask that my colleagues support this bipartisan legislation to promote women in the workforce and in STEM fields. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Costello).

Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. McCarthy), the majority leader.

Mrs. COMSTOCK

Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I rise to address an issue of grave concern to my constituents. Last week's unprecedented closure of the entire Metrorail system demonstrated Metro's ongoing safety failures. This week, the Federal Transit Administration launched its safety blitz of Metro, focusing on the training and oversight of inspectors and the maintenance workers, as well as the management of track defect data. Paul Wiedefeld, the new general manager of Metro, issued a letter to the public several weeks ago identifying many of the problems, including management problems. First and foremost, he said: ``The safety culture at Metro is not integrated with operations, nor well- rooted at all levels.'' For example, although this has already been noted, he noted that there were more red lights blown through in 2015 by its operators than in either 2013 or 2014. Clearly, we are going the wrong direction, and we need to improve Metro. I look forward to working with my colleagues on this important measure to protect the Metro system of the Nation's capital.

Mrs. COMSTOCK

Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 127, 128, 129, I was unable to vote, as I was attending a funeral service for a close family friend. Roll No. 127 was ordering the previous question; Roll No. 128 was H. Res. 649, providing for consideration of the resolution H. Res. 639, which authorizes the Speaker to appear as amicus curiae on behalf of the House of Representatives in the matter of U.S., et al. v. Texas, et al., No. 15-674; and Roll No. 129 was agreeing to that resolution, H. Res. 639. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on all three rollcall votes.

Mrs. COMSTOCK

Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Loudoun County Sheriff's Deputies Placido Sanchez and Erick Ambroise. On February 10, 2016, these deputies responded to a home in Western Loudoun County. At this location, they located an adult male who was unconscious and indications were the incident was drug-related. The deputies observed the individual go in-and-out of consciousness before becoming completely unresponsive. Based on his training, Deputy Ambroise recognized the symptoms of a potential heroin overdose. Deputy Ambroise then utilized his agency issued naloxone to help revive the man. The individual was taken to the Cornwall Campus of Inova Loudoun Hospital where hospital personnel advised the actions taken by the deputies likely saved the man from a fatal overdose. This is the first- time naloxone was administered by a Loudoun County Sheriff's Office Deputy. I would like to commend Deputies Placido Sanchez and Erick Ambroise in potentially saving the life of a man who was overdosing on heroin by putting their new training into action and using naloxone. The use of heroin is gripping our community; we will continue to fight this scourge on all fronts with law enforcement action and community involvement.

Mrs. COMSTOCK

Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, yesterday afternoon the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, our Metro system, informed us that they would be suspending operations all day today and into tonight. While I appreciate that the new general manager had to make this decision to keep our riders safe, what this does is highlight many more widespread problems throughout the system that have been present for years that we need to address. We know a culture change in management needs to happen. When our delegation met with the new manager at the end of last year, we told him we needed to have a management change and that we needed to see some action taken quickly. I am appreciative the Transportation chairman is going to have hearings on this. I want to read to you an example of why we need changes here. A trainee at Metro talked about the incompetence there. He said: I'll be honest with you. I studied harder for fast-food jobs and waiter jobs when I was in college than I did for their training program at Metro. Their testing program is a joke. This is from a Washingtonian article in December of last year. WMATA and Metro lifers who haven't left for years need to start leaving so that we can have a new management culture there.

Mrs. COMSTOCK

Mrs. COMSTOCK. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank him for his very important work on this vital issue of religious freedom. I know how closely you worked with my predecessor, Congressman Frank Wolf, who continues this fight for religious freedom now in his retirement from Congress, but his very active work that continues on this important issue. I rise to recognize the ongoing struggle for human and religious rights in the Middle East and call on the administration to make a genocide designation for the war crimes committed by ISIS against the Christians and other religious and ethnic groups. We had the resolution that we passed tonight, and I thank all of my colleagues for that unanimous vote that really should speak to the entire country, but also to the entire world, to everybody who is asking: When is there going to be help? When are people going to hear our cries of anguish? This resolution had over 200 cosponsors, which I was proud to join the gentleman and so many of my colleagues here tonight and express the sense of Congress that those who commit or support atrocities against Christians, Yazidis, Kurds, and other religious minorities in the region and those who target them specifically for ethnic or religious reasons are committing war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. ISIS has beheaded young children, raped young girls, and systematically slaughtered people just because of the religion they practice. This is 2016. I remember as a young girl in Catholic school when we would study the martyrs and you would think about those ancient times and how the first Christians had to suffer and be martyred like that. And then we see four nuns, Sisters of Charity, just trying to help the aged, the infirm, and they are slaughtered in the name of their faith. We need to have more people hearing about this and focusing on this. At this time when we have so many side shows that we see the press covering every single day, this is something that they need to be dedicating their time and their resources to and to be using this mass media that we have in so many different mediums to get this word out and understand these atrocities that are going on. I commend Time magazine for featuring a young Yazidi woman. I believe it was last December. She was named Nadia. Her firsthand account was chilling, a 21-year-old girl. She testified what these monsters had done to her and her family. When she tried to escape and was recaptured, she recounted her story by saying: ``That night, he beat me up''--this was the person who was keeping her in slavery--``forced me to undress and put me in a room with six militants. They continued to commit crimes to my body until I became unconscious.'' She spoke of her niece, who had also been kidnapped, who had witnessed a woman who was cutting her own wrists, trying to kill herself. They heard stories of women who jumped from bridges. In one house in Mosul, where Nadia was kept, an upstairs room was smeared with evidence of suffering. ``'There was blood, and there were fingerprints of hands with the blood on the walls,' she says. Two women had killed themselves there'' so they wouldn't have to suffer anymore. ``Nadia never considered ending her own life, but she said she wished the militants would do it for her. `I did not want to kill myself' ''-- of course, her faith wouldn't allow it--`` `but I wanted them to kill me' '' so she wouldn't end up suffering. Now she is out there telling the world about this, and we need to listen. The European Parliament, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Iraqi and Kurdish Governments all have labeled these actions as genocide. Now we in the House are on record also. These terrorist organizations are not only persecuting Christians, but Jews, Yazidis, and so many others, as so many of my colleagues have discussed tonight, they also have killed thousands upon thousands of Muslims who refuse to pledge allegiance to their tormentors' extremist views. Last week, the organization of the Knights of Columbus in Defense of Christians released a detailed, 278-page report, as Mr. Fortenberry, my colleague, has outlined. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the executive summary from the report that details the actions that constitute genocide. I certainly would recommend, like the gentleman did, that people look at this detailed report, and I would ask that the press cover this. A Report Submitted to Secretary of State John Kerry by the Knights of Columbus and in Defense of Christians

Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, the law states that the President shall consider what actions can be taken to ensure that those who are responsible for genocide are brought to account for such crimes in an appropriate constituted tribunal. Further, the President is required to develop a clear strategy to stop these organizations based on the most recent iteration of the National Defense Authorization Act that was passed in November. As I mentioned earlier, since his retirement from Congress, my predecessor, Congressman Wolf, has worked tirelessly on these issues. I am so pleased, and I know he will be so pleased, to see so many of his former colleagues and all of us who were able to pass this unanimously this evening. I thank him for his strong voice and for all of the strong voices who were here tonight so that we can, once again, be standing throughout this country and throughout the world as that beacon of light which so many of my colleagues have talked about. I thank the gentleman for having this Special Order today. I just close in asking for prayer for all of those who are suffering around the world and for all of those souls who have been tormented, tortured, and killed.

Mrs. COMSTOCK

Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, on roll call nos. 103 and 104, I was unable to vote, as I was attending a memorial program honoring Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, Antonin Scalia, who was a constituent and neighbor of mine. Roll no. 103 was H.R. 136, which designated a post office at Camp Pendleton, CA as the ``Camp Pendleton Medal of Honor Post Office''; and Roll no. 104 was H.R. 3735, which designated a post office in Winston Salem, NC as the ``Maya Angelou Memorial Post Office''. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on both.

Mrs. COMSTOCK

Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the life of Prince William County Police Officer Ashley Guindon. Ashley was 28 years old. She was shot and killed while responding to a domestic disturbance in Woodbridge, Virginia, on her first day on the job. She had just been sworn in the previous day, and the incident occurred only 90 minutes into her first training shift. She also had been serving her country and community as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. She was a gifted and skilled officer, and this great sense of service that she had to her country and her community will be so missed by her family, friends, and colleagues on the force. Twenty-eight years old. She represented the best of our youth, and her tragic murder is a reminder of the sacrifices that law enforcement in my district, in all of Virginia, and throughout our country make every day. We honor her service and her sacrifice and that of all of our dedicated, selfless law enforcement officers. They deserve our honor and respect every day. I also ask that we continue to pray for her fellow officers, Jesse Hempen and David McKeown, who were also shot during this incident, and we pray for their full recovery.

Mrs. COMSTOCK

Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, today, February 24, 2016, a very special ceremony took place at which the brave Foot Soldiers who participated in the civil rights marches from Selma to Montgomery half a century ago were honored with the Congressional Gold Medal. Among the witnesses to this ceremony were a group of my constituents from the Lansdowne community of Loudoun County who are taking affirmative steps to build a new church and multi-purpose community center on 4.4 acres of land that includes an unmarked cemetery in which more than 40 slaves who lived and worked on the former Belmont Plantation are buried. To honor those slaves, Reverend Michelle Thomas, senior pastor at Holy and Whole Life Changing Ministries International, has joined with other Loudoun County residents to form The Loudoun Freedom Center, a non-profit that will use science and technology to explore the cultural history of Loudoun, including African-American slaves who helped build plantations in the area. Among the projects planned for The Loudoun Freedom Center are: A visitors' center that will tell the story of the African-American communities of Loudoun County; Belmont and Coton (Lansdowne) African burial grounds that will preserve, protect and restore the sacred burial grounds on the former Belmont and Coton plantations; a Loudoun- specific genome project; a virtual DNA extraction laboratory; a research library and genealogy hub; and the Loudoun Freedom Chapel, a place to reflect and meditate. Just as it was divine inspiration that caused so many faithful Americans of different races and backgrounds to join together in unity and in hope at the Edmund Pettus Bridge last year, so too, it is divine inspiration for this diverse group of citizens in Loudoun County to join together in unity and in hope on the site of an unmarked slave cemetery on Belmont Ridge Road. Reverend Thomas has said of the ambitious project that it is a crusade to reclaim the property under a banner of unity. ``No matter what your race, your color, your creed . . . we all want the same things. We all want to be honored. We all want to have hope for the future.'' I pray that they will be successful in their endeavors and that they will inspire the residents of Loudoun County and my Congressional District for years to come.

Mrs. COMSTOCK

Mrs. COMSTOCK. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Rothfus).

Mrs. COMSTOCK. I thank the gentleman for those lovely memories. In the outpouring that we saw in his passing, one of the pictures that I saw from a neighbor was a picture of Justice Scalia, who was probably coming home for a long day at work, and some children on our street had a lemonade stand. He had stopped and gotten out there to support those little entrepreneurs. The mom came out and took a picture of them. He was there beaming with those kids, in his suit, all dressed up, and these little kids are there with their lemonade stand and so proud. He really did take the time that my friend, Mr. Roskam, spoke about and really just engaged and loved life so much. I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. DeSantis).

Mrs. COMSTOCK. I thank the gentleman, and I thank all of my colleagues for their comments. Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate this opportunity for all of our colleagues to join us in celebrating the life of this great man, Justice Scalia, who so many of us were privileged to know and count as a friend. For anyone who would like to view the beautiful mass of Christian burial for Justice Scalia that was presided over by his son, Father Paul Scalia, who gave a beautiful homily, that can be found on C-SPAN. I appreciate that that was covered. I also, again, appreciate this opportunity to celebrate this beautiful life, this family. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. COMSTOCK. I thank the gentleman for his remarks. I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Roskam).

Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the subject of this Special Order.

Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, this Special Order is meant to honor the life and three decades of service of Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court Antonin Scalia. Justice Scalia was a person of great joy, great intellect, great wit, and great faith. Our Nation suffered a tremendous loss on February 13 with the passing of Justice Antonin Scalia. My husband Chip and I, my parents, and our children are deeply saddened by the passing of our friend, our neighbor, and, of course, a legal legend. He was a courageous advocate for the rule of law and the Constitution. Justice Scalia and his wife, Maureen, raised an incredible family of 9 children and 36 grandchildren, and we have been so privileged to know and love them. Justice Scalia was both a larger-than-life Justice, who leaves a profound legacy in the law, as well as a down-to-earth husband, father, grandfather, and absolutely delightful friend who loved his Lord and God, his wife and family, the law, the opera, his country, hunting, and a good laugh. We have all heard the stories of his friendship across the ideological spectrum, none more famous than his friendship with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Justice Scalia explained: ``If you can't disagree ardently with your colleagues about some issues of law and yet personally still be friends, get another job, for Pete's sake.'' Justice Ginsburg explained: ``As annoyed as you might be about his zinging dissent, he's so utterly charming, so amusing, so sometimes outrageous, you can't help but say `I'm glad that he's my friend or he's my colleague.' '' Justice Scalia was a shining example of fidelity, as he was ever- faithful to his oath to the law, to his family, and to his God. He was celebrated by so many in the legal community. He was a revered mentor to the dozens and dozens of clerks who lined the steps of the Supreme Court last Friday in his honor. And every one of them, no doubt, had a story that had profound legal discussions in it but also ended with a good laugh. He simply will be irreplaceable and leaves a legacy that will be consequential, discussed, and debated for the ages. On the personal front, his life was also a great and consequential life. Justice Scalia married his wife of over 55 years, Maureen, in 1960. They were set up on a blind date. He told one author that Maureen was ``the product of the best decision I ever made.'' His nine children--nine, how appropriate for a Supreme Court Justice--were split five and four, five boys, four girls. They became lawyers, a priest, a poet, an Army major, and parents themselves of those wonderful 36 grandchildren. Justice Scalia proudly gave the lion's share of the credit for raising this large brood to the resourceful, talented, and very smart love of his life, Maureen, who, as her son Paul said in the homily, matched him at every step. Justice Scalia said about his children ``and there's not a dullard in the bunch.'' His son, Father Paul Scalia, was the celebrant for his father's beautiful funeral mass with the assistance of dozens of priests at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception this past Saturday. Father Paul began his moving homily saying: ``We are gathered here because of one man, a man known personally to many of us, known only by reputation to many more; a man loved by many, scorned by others; a man known for great controversy and for great compassion. That man, of course, is Jesus of Nazareth.'' Father Paul continued: ``In the past week, many have recounted what Dad did for them. But here today we reflect what God did for Dad, how He blessed him.'' Father Paul explained how his father understood that the deeper he went into his Catholic faith, the better a citizen and public servant he became. That faith now inspires his children and grandchildren and generations to come of the Scalia family and the so many lives he touched and influenced. Justice Scalia also had a rich tenor voice that intimidated many who came before the Court in front of him, but as his son Christopher explained, it was also perfect for reading stories to his grandchildren. His rendition of ``The Night Before Christmas'' was an annual tradition. He also led many sing-alongs at parties, played the piano, and also that singing would go on and on for their long car rides. Pictures with his children and grandchildren cover the walls and the end tables and the piano of the Scalia home, and in any picture with one or more of those children or grandchildren or with his beloved Maureen, Justice Scalia would always be beaming whenever he was around his family. An only child himself, he loved that he gave his children the gift of many brothers and sisters. No doubt that is a great solace to all of them now, as well as a source of great strength and support for their mother. May God bless Justice Antonin Scalia, a good and faithful son, and may God bless his wife, Maureen, and their entire family, and the scores and scores of their friends and his colleagues and the millions more of admirers, and may God bless the country that he so loved. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), the distinguished chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary.

Mrs. COMSTOCK. I thank the gentleman for his remarks. I yield to my friend, the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner).

Mrs. COMSTOCK. I thank the gentlewoman for her remarks. I yield to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry).

Mrs. COMSTOCK. I thank the gentleman for his lovely remarks. Five is a good start, right, getting to that nine. I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. King).

Mrs. COMSTOCK. I thank the gentleman from New York for his kind words and for bringing a New York flavor here to such a wonderful man. I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Walker).

Mrs. COMSTOCK

Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor my constituent, Leesburg Chief of Police Joseph Price. Chief Price will retire on March 1st after serving as the Leesburg Chief of Police for 16 years. Chief Price has worked in law enforcement for over 40 years, serving in the Montgomery County Maryland Police Department for 25 years and in the U.S. Army Reserve, retiring as a Lt. Colonel. Under his leadership, the Leesburg Police Department has become an award winning organization focused on positive interactions and community policing. While serving a population that has nearly doubled in size, the department earned its first accreditation from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services in 2006, and was subsequently reaccredited in 2010 and 2014. In 2015 the International Association of Chiefs of Police and Motorola awarded the Webber-Seavey Award for Quality in Law Enforcement to the Leesburg Police Department in recognition of their success in improving quality in law enforcement through innovative projects. Needless to say, Chief Price's leadership has served a crucial role in the growth and success of the Leesburg Police Department. Chief Price earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Scranton, and an MBA from the American University in Washington, DC. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy and Police Executive Research Forum's (PERF) Senior Management Institute for Police. He currently chairs the Northern Virginia Chiefs and Sheriffs Group. Aside from his dedication to our community, Price is an active member of the Rotary Club of Leesburg. He is the devoted husband of his wife, Lori, and has three children and three grandchildren. I wish to commend Chief Price for faithfully serving the Town of Leesburg, Commonwealth of Virginia, and ensuring the continued safety of Virginia's 10th District.

Mrs. COMSTOCK

Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the life of my friend, Elaine McConnell. Elaine led a life of public service and dedicated her career to serving others in our community. Elaine is a Jacksonville, Florida native, but first moved to Fairfax County in 1961. Shortly thereafter, she took an interest in public service and safety. Elaine served as Springfield District Supervisor for 24 years and championed the construction of the world class McConnell Public Safety Transportation and Operations Center. She was a staunch advocate of transportation initiatives and went on to serve as the Chair of the Northern Virginia Transportation Board. Many know her as the ``mother'' of the Virginia Railway Express because of her leadership as a founding board member. VRE serves an average of 20,000 riders per day and may not exist without Elaine's lifelong dedication to transportation infrastructure in the region. Most recently, Elaine served on the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Board as an appointee of Governor McDonnell. Beyond her involvement in transportation initiatives, Elaine was the founder and CEO of Accotink Academy, an education center which serves children with learning disabilities throughout the region. She gained national acclaim for her study and work of handwriting and math disorders. The school has grown to 400 students and also opened a second location in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Outside of her volunteer work, she was an avid piano player and cook. Elaine will be greatly missed by her husband, Mac, and their three children, Susan, Mark, and Matthew, nine grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. I am honored to recognize Elaine today for her outstanding display of commitment to our community. She was a true public servant and will be missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her.

Mrs. COMSTOCK

Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate and honor Jahnavi Murthy of South Riding, a young student from my district who has achieved national recognition for exemplary volunteer service in her community. The 2016 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, an annual honor conferred on the most impressive student volunteers in each state and the District of Columbia, has named Ms. Murthy as one of their top honorees in Virginia. Ms. Murthy has earned recognition for her input in co-funding an organization with her brother called, ``Feed Hungry People.'' After her work to begin this organization, ``Feed Hungry People'' has been able to raise $24,000. Each month, this organization sends nonperishable meal packs to impoverished areas including Zambia, Panama, Haiti and the Philippines. It is vital that we encourage the kind of selfless contribution this young citizen has made. People of all ages need to think more about how we, as individuals, can work together at the local level to ensure the health and vitality of our towns and neighborhoods. Young volunteers like Ms. Murthy are inspiring examples to all of us. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards was created by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals in 1995 to impress upon all youth volunteers the importance of their contributions and to inspire other young people to follow their example. I heartily applaud Ms. Murthy for her initiative in seeking to make our community a better place to live, and for the positive impact she has had on the lives of others. Her actions show that young Americans can--and do--play important roles in our communities, and that America's community spirit continues to hold tremendous promise for the future.