Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, the global economy is increasingly interconnected. The current economic crisis may have begun in the United States, but it rapidly spread throughout the world. Now as we stand on the cusp of a sustained economic recovery, we must be mindful of the ripple effects and guard against further threats to our economy.

Last Thursday's historic stock market plunge, initially precipitated by Greece's economic uncertainty, must serve as a stark reminder of what happens when you don't have adequate protections in place. Without proper oversight, Madam Speaker, our financial markets are dangerously exposed.

In the financial chaos that erupted last Thursday, shares of Accenture swung from $40 to one penny and back to $40. Shares of Procter & Gamble traded for $54 on the New York Stock Exchange but only $39 on the NASDAQ. Those aren't market forces at work. Those are market forces that are broken. Almost 300 trades made under questionable circumstances had to be subsequently canceled by the trading houses. Such wild disparities highlight the dangers of a marketplace left largely to its own devices and the tremendous risk posed to our economy and those who invest in it.

The recession of 2007 began in the financial sector. Its effects were widespread. Millions of Americans lost their jobs. Millions more had their homes foreclosed. Millions more lost their retirement savings, college funds, and emergency reserves. In fact, American households cumulatively lost $17.5 trillion in aggregate household wealth in the recession.

Now it's true, Madam Speaker, that we're seeing signs of an economic recovery. The Nation's gross domestic product is once again growing at the rate of 5.6 percent in the last quarter of 2009 and another 3.2 percent in the first quarter of this year. After 2 years of job losses, culminating with 741,000 jobs lost in January of 2009, we're finally in the midst of our fourth straight month of job growth, even though the other side of the aisle can't accept good news when they see it. More than 290,000 jobs were created last month, the most since March of 2006. Despite the recent uncertainty, the stock markets are up more than 50 percent since their March 2009 lows.

But it is that lingering uncertainty that we have sought to address with our actions in this Congress. Similar financial sector problems came to a head in 2007, leading to the worst economic recession since the Great Depression. And as last Thursday reminded us, we're still at risk to financial sector uncertainty. Responsible Wall Street reform remains one of the critical components of a sustainable economic recovery.

Madam Speaker, with such an obvious need for reform, why hasn't it been implemented already? Why, for example, is the more than $700 trillion--that's trillion with a ``T''--derivatives market still completely unregulated? We must ensure that this highly speculative market is brought out of the shadows and operates with transparency and responsible oversight. Why are the American taxpayers still faced with the possibility of bailing out financial institutions deemed ``too big to fail?'' Never again should private risk become a public responsibility.

I was proud to join a majority of my colleagues in this body in supporting passage of Wall Street reform last December to address these systemic problems and protect American families and their savings. We provided for regulation of the shadowy derivatives market. We brought accountability and transparency to the financial sector. We ended the practice of ``too big to fail.'' We established safeguards to ensure that the abuses of the past are never again repeated. Madam Speaker, the House made Wall Street reform a priority.

Although the Senate finally began its own deliberations a few weeks ago, the process thus far has been slow. I am encouraged to see bipartisan negotiations on the bill after a failed filibuster attempt by the minority. After last week, can there be any doubt that we need Wall Street reform now?

Every day of delay is one more opportunity for a recurrence of economic uncertainty and even collapse. Last Thursday's roller coaster on the stock market was a clear reminder that we cannot allow a continued and willful lack of responsible oversight to expose American families, American business, and our whole economy to such potential risk. Madam Speaker, we must have Wall Street reform now.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 256, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Krista Thompson of Mason Neck, Virginia.

Krista Thompson was an honor roll student at South County Secondary School in Fairfax County, Virginia. She was a member of the symphonic orchestra, lettered in swimming, and participated in tennis and field hockey. During the summer, Krista was a lifeguard at Pohick Bay Regional Park and enjoyed family trips to Maine with her parents, Steve and Kathie, and her brothers, Jason and Jeffrey. Krista was a teenager with a strong support system and a drive to succeed.

While all who knew Krista were aware of her many talents and qualities, most did not know that Krista was suffering from a very serious disease. Although Krista had been diagnosed with brain cancer at age thirteen, she did not make the disease a part of her identity. During the four years that she lived with cancer, Krista never failed to be a full participant in all that life offered. Even during the last week of her too short life, she went hiking, volunteered at the elementary school where her mother taught, and spent time with her family. Krista lost her battle with brain cancer on October 28, 2008, but her memory lives on in the hearts of her friends and family.

In 2005, in a show of solidarity, Susan Hamon formed a team to participate in the Race for Hope. The team, then known as ``Krista's Red Sox,'' raised money for the National Brain Tumor Society and Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure. For the sixth year, ``Team Krista'' will be participating in the Race for Hope. This year, ``Team Krista'' has raised nearly forty thousand dollars. Perhaps more impressive and a true tribute to the affection that so many feel for Krista and her family, the team has more supporters than all but one other team; 286 people have joined the 2010 ``Team Krista.''

Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join the members of ``Team Krista'' in their support for a cure for brain cancer. I would like to extend my best wishes to Krista's friends and family. Her memory inspires others diagnosed with brain cancer to preserve their priorities and cherish personal relationships in the face of adversity.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend the staff and students of Mt. Vernon High School for their participation in Civility Month, 2010.

Civil discourse is one of the bedrocks of American society. It is also one of the most difficult to truly achieve. We are a country of diversity; of different religions, ethnicities, and opinions. The rich tapestry created by this diversity is one of the things that make America great and unique in the world.

Perhaps one of the biggest challenges that each of us face as individuals is how we deal with this diversity. Dealing with someone who does not look like us, or speak like us, or has a different opinion can be difficult. But if we stop long enough to listen, we might learn something. And that is the purpose of conversation and discussion. None of us can understand another until we hear what he or she has to say. The underlying principles of Respect, Restraint and Responsibility are Golden Rules and if we do our best to live by them, we will all benefit.

The old phrase ``Walk a Mile in His Shoes'' is pertinent here. We must continue to strive to understand and accept one another. We must continue to encourage conversation and acceptance while discouraging bullying and tyranny.

I commend The Association of Image Consultants International for elevating this critical issue, as well as The Rotary Club and the Girls Scouts for joining in this effort. But most of all, I must commend and congratulate the staff and student body of Mt. Vernon High School, led by Principal Mrs. Nardos King, for embracing this issue.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commending and congratulating the staff and student body of Mt. Vernon High School. Their commitment to civility, respect and responsibility are bright lights in this time of tense debate. We can learn much from these students. And perhaps again, the children shall lead the way.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend the efforts of the Northern Virginia Urban League, NOVAUL, and to congratulate the recipients of the 2010 Community Service and Scholarship Awards.

Founded in 1990, the NOVAUL is one of 100 affiliates of the National Urban League. Its mission is to enable African Americans and others to secure economic self-reliance, parity, power, and civil rights. Recognizing the relationship between education and economic empowerment, the NOVAUL established a scholarship fund to help ensure that financial barriers do not hinder our students from achieving success in college.

Over the course of the last two decades, the NOVAUL has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships to Northern Virginia students. This year, $70,000 in funding will be awarded to 13 deserving high school seniors. I congratulate the following students on their academic achievements and being named recipients of the 2010 Community Service and Scholarship Awards: Afriyie Boakye, Eric Brent, Jr., Lauren Coleman, Alexander Edwards, Sara Hamid, Wavenly Hudlin, Tracy King, Thomas Nubong, Grace Omijie, Niles Parham, Brittany Sholes, Sherine Taylor, and Brian Via.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commending the outstanding efforts of the Northern Virginia Urban League and in congratulating the 2010 scholarship recipients.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Taste of Heaven hosted by the Prince William Ministerial Association. This year, the Taste of Heaven celebrates its eighth service.

The genesis of the bi-annual worship service occurred when members of the Prince William Ministerial Association came together for a prayer group. During their discussion and worship, they came to the realization that the ``11 o'clock hour'' on Sunday morning in America is our nation's most segregated.

Established in 1996, the Taste of Heaven seeks to break down the denominational and racial barriers that are so starkly borne out during the ``11 o'clock hour.'' The service demonstrates that the churches of Prince William County can come together across ethnic, social and sectarian boundaries and worship as one congregation.

I am honored to recognize the churches and organizations participating in this noble exercise in fellowship and community: All Saints Church, Bethel AME Church Dale City, Bethel UMC, Larry G. Brown, Care Net Pregnancy Resource Centers, Centerpoint Church of God, Christ Chapel Assemblies of God, The Connection, Crossroads Presbyterian Church, Cutting Edge Ministries, Dale City Christian Church, First Mount Zion Baptist Church, Heritage Presbyterian Church, Harvest Life Changers Church International, Hylton Memorial Chapel, Iglesia de Dios Canaan, Little Union Baptist Church, Mount Olive Baptist Church, Mount Zion Baptist Church, New Covenant Fellowship, New Life Anointed Ministries, Open Heart Open Bible Community Church, Preston Wines, Sentara Potomac Hospital Chaplaincy, Reconciliation Community Church, The Salvation Army, Star of Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church, Tribe of Judah Miracle Center, Trinity Temple Church of God, Victory Family Outreach Ministries, Vineyard Christian Fellowship, Young Life, Word Alive Full Gospel Church.

Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in commending the Prince William Ministerial Association for bringing together local faith communities to celebrate their common purpose. We sow the seeds of tolerance and understanding when we respect our differences and celebrate our common humanity.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my good friend from Massachusetts who has so ably shepherded this legislation to this point.

The Telework Improvements Act is an important piece of legislation because it will help us meet five critical policy goals: reduction of dependence on foreign oil; reduction in traffic congestion; improvement in air quality; improvement in Federal recruitment and retention; and improvement in the continuity of operations plan for the Federal Government.

I want to particularly thank Congressman John Sarbanes for his leadership in introducing this legislation; my friend and colleague from Virginia, Frank Wolf, who has long championed this cause; the Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry; and of course the ranking member on the subcommittee, the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Chaffetz).

Telework is an essential part of Federal personnel policy because it can help recruit and retain Federal employees. It can maintain continuity of operations in the event of an emergency, and reduce congestion and associated air pollution. That is very important in this National Capital Region, which is a nonattainment region as measured by the EPA.

With 47 percent of the Federal workforce eligible for retirement sometime over the next 10 years or so, we must provide benefits that attract highly qualified employees. Many private companies already provide better telework benefits than does the Federal Government. We must not fall further behind. The ability to work from remote workstations relies on its regular use. Telework is an important and cost-effective component of efforts to reduce congestion, greenhouse gas pollution, and smog. According to the Telework Exchange, if 20 percent of Americans teleworked, we could eliminate 67 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually and reduce Persian Gulf imports by 40 percent. These greenhouse gas emissions correspond to a reduction in ground level ozone in our region, which is critically important to protect the health of our region's residents.

Only 6 percent of eligible Federal employees currently telework on a regular basis, even though the largely white collar workforce in our region is perfectly suited for telework. By contrast, in my county, Fairfax County, the largest suburb in the National Capital Region, 20 percent of our eligible

workforce telecommutes at least one day a week. The Telework Improvements Act provides a vehicle to increase telework participation, establishing telework managing officers for each agency and integrating continuity of operations planning performance metrics. If I had my way, frankly, we would set a 20 percent goal for every Federal agency. Hopefully that is an issue we will revisit at some point.

As an expression of support for this legislation, the Office of Personnel Management announced administrative changes to improve telework policy. This announcement followed an oversight hearing at which Director John Berry received several questions from committee members about telework and the introduction of this act. Since then, we have had multiple severe snowstorms, as has been mentioned, and the nuclear summit hosted by President Obama in the District of Columbia, all of which demonstrated the importance of telework.

During the snowstorms, Federal workers saved taxpayers $30 million each day in lost productivity or productivity that would have otherwise been lost because of a telework program already in place. That represented the equivalent of a 30 percent telework rate which is achievable on a regular basis if we commit ourselves to a more robust effort. Aggressive telework targets like these have already been undertaken by leaders in the private sector. AT&T, for example, has achieved a telework participation rate of 33 percent, contrasted with 6 percent in the Federal Government. It is estimated that many companies save as much as $2,000 per employee per year as a result of reduced absenteeism as a result of telework. Although OPM's telework initiatives are already making a positive difference, it is clear we need to create a statutory framework so it is not undone potentially by future administrations.

In subcommittee markup, I introduced an amendment to direct GSA to work with other Federal agencies to ensure that telework is always a part of the continuity of operations planning. Should this legislation pass, we will be better prepared for future snowstorms or emergencies by enhancing the ability of Federal employees to work remotely. This amendment seems even more important in light of the attempted bombing in Times Square last week, and the ongoing terrorist threat faced here in the National Capital Region.

I appreciate Chairman Lynch's willingness to work on this and a separate university-based telework center amendment that was adopted in full committee, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation without further delay.

Mr. Speaker, as the economy faced imminent collapse in 2008, the choice between allowing a complete meltdown of the financial sector and initiating taxpayer funded bailouts was at best a choice between the lesser of two evils. It was reflective of the fact that a complete and thorough lack of financial regulation by the previous administration and previous Congresses had allowed years of abuse and risky behavior by many financial institutions to subject the entire economy to unparalleled peril.

We know the system was broken. Consumers weren't protected. They lost trillions of dollars in their retirement funds, housing values declined to record lows, and bank lending dried up. Taxpayers weren't protected. They were forced to bail out the very companies that created the economic disaster. Even Wall Street wasn't protected, as the irresponsible and reckless actions of some institutions left the entire financial industry and the American economy in near collapse. When no one is protected, everybody is endangered.

We know the results: the worst recession since World War II; the highest unemployment since 1983, peaking in January 2009 with 740,000 jobs lost; a stock market that plummeted to less than half its peak value; housing foreclosures that increasingly cast families out of their homes; millions of Americans out of work, and a dramatically shrinking gross domestic product.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, holders of more than two-thirds of all of the mortgages in this country, nearly collapsed and are now in government receivership. General Motors and Chrysler emerged from bankruptcy only with Federal taxpayers owning significant amounts of those companies as well. The financial sector was the epicenter of the recession. Between 2000 and 2007, 27 banks failed. Since then, 215 have failed.

The largest savings and loan failure in American history happened in July 2008 when IndyMac was seized. The largest bank failure in history happened just 2 months later when Washington Mutual, in existence for more than 100 years, collapsed, threatening its customers' $307 billion in assets. The largest insurance company failure in American history, AIG, also occurred in late 2008. Only the Troubled Asset Relief Program, initiated under President Bush, and its more than $170 billion taxpayer funded bailout kept AIG from actual collapse.

It is important to ensure that taxpayer funds are never again used to bail out private companies. We must have a procedure in place that not only ends the concept of too big to fail, but also prevents the financial abuses from endangering the economy in the first place.

The value of the derivatives market as of October 2008 stood at $668 trillion. I did not misspeak. The value of the derivatives bought and sold, completely unregulated, totaled more than 15 times the entire world's gross domestic product. Although this does not represent $668 trillion of real wealth, it does indicate hundreds of trillions of dollars worth of speculative investments, which remain void of any transparency today.

How can we allow the massive derivatives market to remain completely unregulated after what we have gone through? How can we allow the risky and abusive actions of certain financial institutions to endanger an entire economy? How can we allow American taxpayers to be faced with the untenable choice of risking further economic collapse or funding financial institutions' misdeeds? Big banks and other financial institutions cannot with one hand wave a finger in America's face decrying any perceived threat to their autonomy while simultaneously holding out the other hand to the American taxpayer asking for a bailout.

It is unconscionable to allow private risk to become public responsibility. That is why the House took action last December passing the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. It is long past time for the Senate to join us and assure American taxpayers that never again will they be asked to bail out misbehaving financial institutions. We must not allow the near-criminal

lack of oversight again. We must not continue to turn a blind eye to the abuses of the past. On behalf of the American taxpayers and consumers, we must enact financial reform now.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and pay tribute to the contributions of Parent Teacher Associations (PTA) and Parent Teacher Student Associations (PTSA) in northern Virginia. These associations serve a critical role in helping to provide the best possible educational environment for our students.

Schools located throughout northern Virginia are consistently recognized as being among the very best in our country. I strongly believe one factor in the excellent education received by our students is the high level of involvement and encouragement provided by parents through PTAs and PTSAs. Parent volunteers exist in a number of capacities within each school ranging from planning and implementing social events to helping ensure that teachers have the classroom resources they need to succeed.

The Northern Virginia District PTA represents a region with more than 220 schools. Maintaining a healthy and strong organization is an important part of allowing these groups

to have the greatest possible impact on the students they serve. To encourage such strength, it is important to note the individual PTAs and PTSAs that excel in this mission as well as the individual Volunteers of the Year.

I am pleased to congratulate the following on being recognized by the National PTA and Virginia PTA for 2009-2010 school year:

$1,000.00 National PTA Healthy Lifestyle Grant: Laurel Hill ES PTA

$300.00 Virginia PTA Family Fitness Grants: Samuel Tucker ES PTA and Haycock ES PTA

2010 National PTA Phoebe Apperson Hearst Family-School Partnership Awards of Merit: Fairview ES PTA, Lake Braddock SS PTA, Mosby Woods ES PTA, and White Oaks ES PTA

2009-2010 Virginia PTA Superior Membership Achievement Awards: Falls Church ES PTA, Nottingham ES PTA, Flint Hill ES PTA, and Langley HS

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the achievements of several students in Northern Virginia. These students have participated and excelled in programs administered by their local Parent Teacher Associations and Parent Teacher Student Associations.

Parent Teacher Associations, PTAs, and Parent Teacher Student Associations, PTSAs, serve a critical role in helping to provide the best possible educational environment for our students. The Northern Virginia District PTA consists of a region with more than 220 schools. Schools located throughout northern Virginia are consistently recognized as being among the very best schools in our country. I strongly believe one factor in the excellent education received by our students is the high level of involvement and encouragement provided by parents through the PTA and PTSAs.

I am pleased to congratulate the following students on being recognized by the National PTA and Virginia PTA for their outstanding achievements:

2010 District PTA Citizenship Essay Awards--High School Division: Trisha Hajela (10th Grade, Centreville High School), and Katherine DeFazio (12th Grade, James Madison High School).

2010 District PTA Citizenship Essay Awards--Middle School Division: Bennett Casciano (7th Grade, South County Secondary School), and Cali Willcockson (8th Grade, Liberty Middle School).

The 2010 PTA Reflections National PTA Nominees are:

Dance Choreography: Primary Division--Claire de la Paz (2nd Grade, Herndon Elementary School PTA) for her dance performance titled ``Free Bird.''

Literature: Middle/Junior Division--Eliza Malakoff, (7th Grade George Washington Middle School PTA) for her insightful essay titled ``No Beauty?''

Music Composition: Intermediate Division--Kyle Gatesman, (4th Grade, Canterbury Woods Elementary School PTA) for his musical composition titled ``Reflections in Color: Variations on a Theme.''

Visual Art: Primary Division--Hannah Cadenazzi, (1st Grade, Great Falls Elementary School PTA) for her interpretative painting titled ``Family.''

Visual Art: Intermediate Division--Brittney Fogg, (5th Grade, Willow Springs Elementary School PTA) for her authentic drawing titled ``Beauty is worth looking for.''

Visual Art: Middle/Junior Division--Jiwhae Choi, (8th Grade, Rachel Carson Middle School) for the multifaceted vision of ''Beauty is never giving up.''

2009 National PTA Award of Excellence: William Park, (12th Grade, Langley High School) who was recognized at an awards reception at the Department of Energy on January 16.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join with me today to recognize the outstanding achievements of these students. I also ask that we recognize the Northern Virginia District PTA, in partnership with the Virginia PTA, as they work diligently to develop the diversity of talents and skills of students attending schools throughout Northern Virginia. It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge the achievements of these students and the Parent Teacher Associations that support them.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Let me start by thanking the chairman and ranking member of the committee and the subcommittee for their leadership on this thoughtful legislation to deliver long-needed reforms to

our military acquisition. I would also like to acknowledge the tremendous work of the Armed Services Committee's bipartisan Panel on Acquisition Reform, led of course by Mr. Andrews of New Jersey and Mr. Conaway of Texas.

My amendment builds upon the panel's recommendations for getting the most out of the industrial base. Defining and assessing the industrial base has been an ongoing challenge for both the Department of Defense and Congress, dating back to the creation of the Armed Forces themselves. One of the key findings of the panel was the need to cast a wider net in terms of defining the industrial base beyond the traditional players. Many of today's technology innovations are being brought forth by small- and mid-sized companies that are more commercial in nature and don't fit the traditional mold of the industrial base. While we must preserve those unique industrial capabilities that have made our Armed Forces the world's most advanced military force, we also must adjust to the innovative changes within the supply chain to ensure that we provide our troops with the tools they need to perform their duties. To accomplish this, we need to adjust our industrial policy to reflect the growing importance of services and information technology providers in the industrial base.

We also need, Mr. Chairman, to acknowledge the importance of systems engineering and integration to our military operations. This amendment would create an Industrial Base Council within the DOD. The council would complement the Blue Ribbon Panel on Eliminating Barriers to Contracting with the Department of Defense that's also created by this legislation. Whereas the Blue Ribbon Panel would be comprised of industry representatives that will present recommendations to the Pentagon on eliminating barriers to those nontraditional industrial base suppliers, this council would be tasked with assessing those and other proposed policy changes and then recommending specific actions to the Secretary of Defense.

The council will be comprised of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, who shall chair the group. An official from within the Under Secretary's office will be appointed to oversee the council. Council membership will also include: officials within the Secretary's office responsible for manufacturing, research and development, systems engineering and systems integration, services, information technology, and sustainment and logistics; the director of DLA; and representatives from other military departments.

In addition to providing budget and policy guidance to the Secretary on modernizing the industrial base, the council will provide strategic input for the Quadrennial Defense Review and other reports, and will revise and issue new guidance for the DOD's technology and industrial base.

This amendment, Mr. Chairman, creates an Industrial Base Fund, which when supported by appropriations, will support the actions and recommendations of the council itself. This is a good government initiative that will strengthen our industrial base, strengthen our small business community, and our military readiness moving forward.

I urge my colleagues to support the amendment and these important acquisition reforms.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I just want to thank my colleague for his gracious remarks.

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

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the efforts of our nation's Peace Corps volunteers in honor of the 49th Anniversary of the Peace Corps. Since the establishment of the Peace Corps by President Kennedy in 1961, nearly 200,000 Americans have served in 139 countries. For the past 49 years, Peace Corps volunteers have demonstrated the nation's commitment to encourage and expand development at the grass roots level.

Currently, 7,671 volunteers are providing expertise and development assistance to 76 countries. Peace Corps volunteers have made significant contributions in agriculture, business development, information to technology, education, health, youth, and the environment. In these various sectors and communities, volunteers have been able to adapt and respond to new challenges through their innovation, creativity, and compassion.

For example, Peace Corps volunteers have provided hope and assistance to people affected by HIV/AIDS. Volunteers have led the way in making the Peace Corps at the forefront of responding to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Through living in the community and learning the local language, they are able to share information relating to HIV/AIDS in a culturally appropriate way.

Once Peace Corps volunteers return from abroad, they have become leaders in all sectors of society. Through their training and experience abroad, volunteers are able to adapt to different cultural settings at the professional level. I would like to commend our proud nation's Peace Corps volunteers for their service, particularly those men and women of the Eleventh Congressional District of Virginia. I consider it a great honor to represent these noble men and women, who travel great distances and make great sacrifices to help reaffirm our country's commitment to helping people help themselves throughout the world.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues and their staff to join me in recognizing the achievement of and the Peace Corps volunteers. They are a great credit to our country, and we should applaud them.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Grace Wang, recipient of a Siemens Foundation award for her excellence in the College Board's Advanced Placement program courses and exams in the area of science and mathematics.

The Siemens Foundation has actively supported science, technology, engineering and mathematics education. Each year, the Foundation provides more than $7 million in support of education initiatives. The Foundation supports programs from grade school through graduate school to encourage students to achieve their potential. The Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement provides $2,000 college scholarships for two students in each state based on grades and scores in AP science and math classes.

Grace Wang, a student at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, has excelled in her AP science and math classes. Through her hard work, she has proven that she is one of the best and brightest in the nation. She is a shining example of the achievements of students in the area of math and science.

Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating Grace Wang for this honor. She truly is an example of our nation's promising future in the science and technology fields.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Volunteer Fairfax, and more particularly the contributions that its volunteers make to our community. Volunteer Fairfax mobilizes people and resources to meet regional community needs. Areas in which Volunteer Fairfax acts as a clearinghouse and matches volunteers to community needs include literacy programs, homeless and poverty assistance, emergency response and recovery functions, senior citizen assistance, education, and many more.

I am honored to pay tribute to the following winners of the 2010 Volunteer Fairfax Awards:

Community Champion Award Recipients are: Braddock District: Jeff Root; Dranesville District: Maya Huber; Hunter Mill District: Jim Larson; Lee District: Jane Hilder; Mason District: Frank Vajda; Mount Vernon District: Linwood Gorham; Providence District: Tysons Corner Center Employees Springfield District: Mike Thompson, Jr.; Sully District: Verdia Haywood; Fairfax County At-Large: Chris and Lisa Bright.

Competitive Award Recipients are: Adult Volunteer Over 250 Hours: Kevin Takeguchi; Adult Volunteer Under 250 Hours: Campbell ``Cam'' Gibson; Adult Volunteer Group: Digital TV Volunteer Team Family Volunteer: Renee and Sean McGinnis; Senior Volunteer: Ibrahim Barsoum; Volunteer Program: Homestretch Volunteer Program Youth Volunteer: Simrun Soni; Youth Volunteer Program: McLean Local Heroes; Corporate Volunteer Group: Excella Consulting; Rising Star: Zack Sanders.

Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient: Betty Powell.

Benchmark Award Recipients: A number of other individuals are being honored for significant contributions of time and energy to dozens of volunteer organizations in Northern Virginia. I congratulate and thank each of the Benchmark Award Honorees for their commitment to the community.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in expressing our gratitude for the efforts of these volunteers and their colleagues at Volunteer Fairfax. The selfless commitment of these individuals provides enumerable benefits to Northern Virginia as a community as well as life-changing services to the individuals in need.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the volunteers who assist the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office. These volunteers work with deputies and civilian staff to help inmates to improve their lives during incarceration and to prepare them for a successful transition back into the community.

With more than 500 deputies, the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office is the largest Sheriff's office in Virginia and among the largest in the country. These deputies perform invaluable services for Fairfax County residents to include providing court security, managing the detention center, and serving the civil law process. Volunteers with the Sheriff's Office help provide inmate programs and services at the Adult Detention Center (ADC) and Pre-Release Center, including mental health counseling, religious services, alcohol and drug support groups, health education, library services and job training.

Volunteers complete a Sheriff's Office training program and also work closely with staff to ensure that best practices are followed. The efforts of these volunteers improve the lives of those incarcerated, reduce recidivism, and make our communities safer.

Each year, the Sheriff's Office hosts a luncheon to thank all of the dedicated individuals who help make the volunteer program a success. The office also recognizes one individual in each service area and it is my honor to recognize these extraordinary citizens:

OPPORTUNITIES, ALTERNATIVES, and RESOURCES--DON EHRETH

Don Ehreth became an active OAR volunteer in March of 2009. At the Family Outreach desk, Don lends a compassionate ear to the concerns of the families and friends affected by incarceration. While others are relaxing on a weekend, Don educates and provides information about the incarceration process and OAR services.