Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 10th anniversary of the Shepherd's Center of Annandale-Springfield (SCAS) and to thank its volunteers for their many contributions to the Northern Virginia community. Established in 2004 by a coalition of religious institutions, foundations and non-profits, SCAS is a non-profit interfaith organization that provides services to help older adults continue living independently. SCAS also offers programs that supply opportunities for enrichment, learning, and socialization. Services are available free of charge to anyone age 50 or older who resides in the local community.

The services and programs offered by this extraordinary organization help to ensure that our seniors stay connected to the community through promotion of active lifestyles, ongoing social integration, and availability of resources for older residents to use their experience, training, and skills in significant roles in society. SCAS volunteers provide transportation for seniors who need rides to medical appointments and other essential activities, ``Handy Helper'' services for seniors who need help with basic household tasks, and ``Friendly Calls'' to home-bound seniors. Social and enrichment programs include bi-monthly luncheons featuring musical programs or guest speakers, day trips to local areas of interest, and educational seminars.

Last year, SCAS volunteers, board members and staff devoted approximately 2800 hours of their time to serve our seniors. Drivers provided 253 rides for local seniors, taking them mostly to medical appointments. More than 225 lunches were served at six Lunch N' Life programs. 63 seniors enjoyed day trips to local attractions, and 86 attended seven-week sessions of Adventures in Learning on subjects such as A History of the Early Christian Church, The Civil War, Going Green, The War of 1812 and other Lesser Known Wars, Up In Space and Under the Sea, and other topics.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing the Shepherd Center of Annandale-Springfield for the services which enable older adults in our community to age in place and enjoy their golden years with dignity and independence. I thank the many volunteers and sponsors who generously dedicate their time, efforts and resources to the welfare of our neighbors. The value of their contributions cannot be overstated and are deserving of our highest praise.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 30th Anniversary of Our Daily Bread. Our Daily Bread (ODB) is a non-profit organization whose primary focus is combatting hunger and poverty in Fairfax County, Virginia.

The organization began in 1984 as a temporary homeless shelter that rotated among several churches in the area. As permanent organizations and programs developed to assist the homeless in Fairfax County, ODB recognized a need that was going unmet--serving those families who, while not homeless, were in financial crisis and in danger of ``falling through the cracks.'' ODB's leadership observed that many people work hard but live paycheck-to-paycheck. Any kind of unexpected expense, such as a car repair, rent hike, or medical cost can throw them into a financial crisis.

Today, the families ODB helps are likely to be members of the working poor, the elderly, disabled, and those who unexpectedly found themselves in crisis due to job loss, debt, or health issues.

More than half of those served are children. ODB's programs offer the temporary assistance families need to recover from a crisis, stay in their homes, and maintain their self-sufficiency. ODB strives to prevent homelessness with a three-tiered approach; providing food assistance, financial assistance, and, ultimately, financial literacy training. ODB also provides back-to-school supplies for low-income school children and holiday assistance. These programs meet the short- term food and financial needs that often accompany job loss and ill health, while also educating clients about ways to prepare for such financial crises in the future and return to self-sufficiency.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commending Our Daily Bread for 30 years of service to and in thanking the staff, volunteers, community partners, financial supporters and sponsors for contributing their time, energy, and resources to this worthwhile organization.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 90th anniversary of Northern Virginia Family Service and to commend the 2014 Community Champion and Legends of Northern Virginia honorees. Since its founding by community volunteers in 1924, NVFS has addressed the growing needs of communities throughout our region. NVFS works to improve the lives of its clients through a variety of programs in five mission initiatives: housing, child and family enrichment, health access, emergency assistance, and workforce development. Today, more than 36,000 individuals and families receive assistance each year.

In 2013, NVFS led a coalition of nonprofits that trained volunteers to help the public learn about and sign up for health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act. In just a few months, these volunteers held more than 2000 enrollment sessions with clients.

The Community Champion Award is a recognition given each year to someone who has made immeasurable contributions to children and families in Northern Virginia. This year, this award will be presented to Lauren E. Peterson. Following her family's philosophy of giving back to the communities in which it lives and works, Ms. Peterson has consistently been involved with major charities in the Washington Metropolitan area. She was a Member of the Northern Virginia Family Service Board of Directors for 12 years. Her current charitable activities include: Vice Chair, Life with Cancer Board; Secretary, Washington International Horse Show; Board Member, Teach for America; Board member, Charity Works; Board Member, Inova Foundation; Committee Member, Inova Cancer Services; and Committee Member, Rainbow Therapeutic Riding.

Sidney O. Dewberry will be honored as a Legend of Northern Virginia for decades of leadership in commercial, civic, charitable, and academic endeavors in the Washington D.C. region. In 1956, Mr. Dewberry founded a planning, engineering, and surveying firm that bears his name and is widely known as an industry leader in the greater Washington metropolitan area. He is a founding member and former chairman of the Engineers & Surveyors Institute, and the George Mason University Urban Systems Engineering Institute, now known as the Civil Engineering Institute. He is Rector Emeritus of the George Mason University Board of Visitors, a past member of the Governor's Commission for the Future of Higher Education in Virginia, a member of the Virginia Business- Higher Education Council and former Trustee of the George Mason University Foundation. His leadership activities also include having served on the board of The Greater Washington Board of Trade, as chairman of the Governor's Regional Economic Development Advisory Council for Northern Virginia, as a director of the Air & Space Heritage Council, member of the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance, chairman of the Arlington County, Virginia, Planning Commission and chairman of the Fairfax County, Virginia, Engineering Standards Review Committee. For his service, he has received numerous accolades, including the George Mason University Mason Medal and ``Northern Virginian of the Year'' by New Dominion magazine.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commending NVFS for 90 years of service to our region's most vulnerable families and congratulating this year's deserving honorees. I also thank the staff, volunteers, sponsors, and community partners for their dedication and ongoing support of NVFS.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the NOVA-Annandale Symphony Orchestra. The Orchestra was originally formed in 1994 as a collaborative arrangement between the Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) Annandale Campus and the Reunion Music Society. Led by award-winning Music Director Christopher Johnston since 1996, the NOVA-Annandale Symphony Orchestra has performed a wide range of music embracing different cultures and heritages and is the ``Orchestra-in-Residence'' at the Richard J. Ernst Community Cultural Center on the Northern Virginia Community College's Annandale Campus.

Over the years, the orchestra has grown in size, repertoire, and prominence in the greater Northern Virginia community. The Orchestra is composed of members of the community, as well as NOVA students for whom the ensemble is a laboratory for the orchestral repertoire. The Orchestra performs a wide variety of music from around the world, demonstrating its versatility and its goals of presenting compositions of little-known composers and offering programs of seldom-heard music representing a range of cultures.

Throughout its two decade history, the orchestra has performed on and off campus, premiered numerous works, created scholarships, provided opportunities for young soloists, and generated unique multi- cultural events designed to reach diverse audiences. It is most unusual for a community college to maintain a full symphony orchestra, and the orchestra's quality and enduring place in the Northern Virginia community are now widely recognized.

At the orchestra's anniversary concert this year, the symphony orchestra will perform a concert entitled ``Scotland and the Sea.'' Included in the program is the debut of a symphonic work by students of the Fairfax Academy for Communications and the Arts.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the NOVA-Annandale Symphony Orchestra on the occasion of its 20th Anniversary and in thanking the musicians, volunteers and supporters for their efforts to preserve and enrich the music and culture of Northern Virginia.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and congratulate the Penderbrook Community Association located in Fairfax County, Virginia, for earning the 2013 Community Association of the Year Award (Very Large category) from the Washington Metropolitan Chapter of the Community Associations Institute.

The Penderbrook Community Association (PCA) consists of 1,776 single family homes, townhomes, and condominiums located in the heart of the Fair Oaks area about 20 miles west of Washington, DC, and it is home to over 4,000 residents. The PCA is a Master Association, which unites seven separate land bays with exceptional amenities including a fitness center, swimming pool complex, golf course, tennis courts, basketball courts, clubhouse, boardroom facility, and tot lots. The association amenities serve as a hub for a wide variety of community events that offer something for everyone who calls Penderbrook home.

In addition to the topnotch amenities, PCA emphasizes frequent and robust communications with residents. The PCA employs an interactive website for instant correspondence, a weekly email newsletter to inform residents of local issues, meetings, and events, and an onsite office to manage day-to-day operations and provide immediate assistance to residents. Resident input and involvement is solicited, encouraged, appreciated, and recognized. Open lines of communication also are utilized in an ongoing effort to solicit association volunteers for various committees and projects. Volunteerism leads to true community ownership, fosters friendships, and motivates neighbors to serve the common good.

The PCA prides itself as an association that gives back to the community. The clubhouse hosts the annual Fairfax County Police Foundation Santa's Ride Banquet, biannual blood drives, and serves as a Fairfax County election polling facility. The PCA annually donates use of the facilities to the Special Olympics for event practice, and the Penderbrook Clubhouse is an official collection site for Toys-for-Tots.

Each year the Washington Metropolitan Chapter of the Community Associations Institute honors communities that demonstrate excellence in all facets of association operation and governance, and which best represent common-interest community living. There are four categories: Very Large (1,000+ units), Large (500-999 units), Medium (150-499 units) and Small (1-49 units).

The Penderbrook Community Association was selected based upon a review of the community's governance, board procedures, financial management, committee structure, crime prevention efforts, community communications, and insurance preparedness.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Penderbrook Community Association for earning this honor and in thanking the volunteers and Board Members who devote countless hours toward the ultimate goal of creating an ideal home and serving our entire community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize 50 graduating seniors in my community for their record of academic and athletic accomplishment and for their admirable decision to enlist in the United States Army. I also express my appreciation to Our Community Salutes of Northern Virginia for providing this opportunity to be among the first to say to each of these young men and women: ``Thank you.''

I have had the privilege of working with Our Community Salutes of Northern Virginia since its inception in 2011. That year my office was contacted by one of the founding parents who upon learning that her son and other students at his school who had decided to enlist would not receive any recognition during graduation, joined with other parents to organize the first enlistee recognition ceremony of its kind in the region. The first ceremony recognized a total of 9 students. This year, we will recognize 129 young men and women who have chosen to serve our country in uniform.

With graduation season upon us, thousands of young people in my community, and millions across the nation, are preparing for the next chapter in their lives. Some will pursue higher education or vocational training, others will seek to enter the workforce immediately, and many will answer the call to serve their community and their country.

The United States of America has distinguished itself from other nations through the entrepreneurship and spirit of our people, the knowledge that we can achieve any goal if we set our minds to it, our inherent compassion and generosity, our fierce patriotism, and the extraordinary sacrifices and dedication to country exhibited by the members of our Armed Forces. The young men and women from our community who will be enlisting possess an abundance of each of these qualities. I join with their families and friends in congratulating and commending the following graduates on their enlistment in the United States Army:

Matthew Ainslie, Daniel Alt, Chardai Adora Anderson, Gustabo Arguera Granados, RaJhan Jubar Atkinson, David Barber, Dustin Barnes, Luke Battle, Anthony Boothby, Nathaniel Macques Bradford, Andrew Brown, Lam Hoai Bui, Jamie Nicole Cabling, Matthew Carrero, Thomas James Cleary, Gloria Cruces-Johansson, Caleb Downing, Oscar Gonzalez, Daniel Hemmingson, Kyle Hodges, Mitchell Henry Johnson, Romulo Grame Jovero, Nershon Kamara, Hunter McConchie,

Adam Moore, Christian Josue Morales, Lisdeth Morales, Paul Nosegbe, Julius Osei Nyanin, Andrez Obando, Jacob Olave, Alexander Parada, Lisa Vianey Perez, Richard Reese, Edward Robinson, Adriana Roca, Ivonne Aracely Rojas-Telleria, Elijah Jeremiah Scott, Javil Glendon Zanniek Seaton, Billy Gene Sims, Gregory Sorbara, Peter Jordan Stefanov, Philip Suarez, Samuel Crawford Taylor, Avery Tillman, Mark Tull, Elliot Wood, Stephen Wooldrige, Edwin Xicotencatl, Clement Yeboah.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding the courage and dedication of these graduates and in assuring them and their families that the full support and resources of the U.S. Congress and the American people will be behind them on every step of their journey in defense our nation's freedom.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize 13 graduating seniors in my community for their record of academic and athletic accomplishment and for their admirable decision to enlist in the United States Air Force. I also express my appreciation to Our Community Salutes of Northern Virginia for providing this opportunity to be among the first to say to each of these young men and women: ``Thank you.''

I have had the privilege of working with Our Community Salutes of Northern Virginia since its inception in 2011. That year my office was contacted by one of the founding parents who upon learning that her son and other students at his school who had decided to enlist would not receive any recognition during graduation, joined with other parents to organize the first enlistee recognition ceremony of its kind in the region. The first ceremony recognized a total of 9 students. This year, we will recognize 129 young men and women who have chosen to serve our country in uniform.

With graduation season upon us, thousands of young people in my community, and millions across the Nation, are preparing for the next chapter in their lives. Some will pursue higher education or vocational training, others will seek to enter the workforce immediately, and many will answer the call to serve their community and their country.

The United States of America has distinguished itself from other nations through the entrepreneurship and spirit of our people, the knowledge that we can achieve any goal if we set our minds to it, our inherent compassion and generosity, our fierce patriotism, and the extraordinary sacrifices and dedication to country exhibited by the members of our Armed Forces. The young men and women from our community who will be enlisting possess an abundance of each of these qualities. I join with their families and friends in congratulating and commending the following graduates on their enlistment in the United States Air Force:

Joshua Gragg, Jaren Gregory, Erin Harmon, Skylar Johnson, Calvin Kim, Alan Menacho, Joshua Mims, Patrick Moon, Christopher Pidgeon, Shaun Reardon, Cassidy Smith, Carlos Soto-Flores, and Jackson Sullivan.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding the courage and dedication of these graduates and in assuring them and their families that the full support and resources of the U.S. Congress and the American people will be behind them on every step of their journey in defense of our Nation's freedom.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize 60 graduating seniors in my community for their record of academic and athletic accomplishment and for their admirable decision to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. I also express my appreciation to Our Community Salutes of Northern Virginia for providing this opportunity to be among the first to say to each of these young men and women: ``Thank you.''

I have had the privilege of working with Our Community Salutes of Northern Virginia since its inception in 2011. That year my office was contacted by one of the founding parents who upon learning that her son and other students at his school who had decided to enlist would not receive any recognition during graduation, joined with other parents to organize the first enlistee recognition ceremony of its kind in the region. The first ceremony recognized a total of 9 students. This year, we will recognize 129 young men and women who have chosen to serve our country in uniform.

With graduation season upon us, thousands of young people in my community, and millions across the Nation, are preparing for the next chapter in their lives. Some will pursue higher education or vocational training, others will seek to enter the workforce immediately, and many will answer the call to serve their community and their country.

The United States of America has distinguished itself from other nations through the entrepreneurship and spirit of our people, the knowledge that we can achieve any goal if we set our minds to it, our inherent compassion and generosity, our fierce patriotism, and the extraordinary sacrifices and dedication to country exhibited by the members of our Armed Forces. The young men and women from our community who will be enlisting possess an abundance of each of these qualities. I join with their families and friends in congratulating and commending the following graduates on their enlistment in the United States Marine Corps:

Steven Lawrence Allen, Jovina Argueta, Coty Brown, Daniel Bukari, Khizer Butt, Jose Cajar, Patrick Casey, Michael Conroy, Adam Crews, Jason Crites, Michael Daughtry, Hunter Day, Christopher Dullea, Jordan Dunmore, Zachary Frye, Ernesto Garcia, Nina Garrido, Zachary Gingras, Flor Gudiel, Junior Guzman Melendez, Demetrius Higgins, Garrett Humberson, Michael Irwin, Jake Kinder, Brian Knauf, Matthew Levesque, Ariel Jeffrey Magalong, Phillip Mauel, Zachary McCall, Lukas McKennedy, Blake TW Mendenhall, Sergio Miranda Henruquez, Duncan Mungovan, John Munies, Robin Murray, Alex Naupari, Rory Nelson, Omer Nezam, Kevin Nidell, Sanjar Omuraliev, John Peters, Siam Putipong, Jaycee Quispe, Hithem Shaw, Sohrab Ali Shojanezhad, Travis Nathaniel Sievert, Luis Enrique Sosa Lopez, Michael Such, Phillip Suh, Sean Sullivan, Carl Tchatchouang, Destinee Tenakoun, Brandon Thien, Taylor Trahan, Marvin Ventura, George Vera, Damon Villamar, Mark Walker, Andrew Webster, Winfield Wilson.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding the courage and dedication of these graduates and in assuring them and their families that the full support and resources of the U.S. Congress and the American people will be behind them on every step of their journey in defense our Nation's freedom.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize 6 graduating seniors in my community for their record of academic and athletic accomplishment and for their admirable decision to enlist in the United States Navy. I also express my appreciation to Our Community Salutes of Northern Virginia for providing this opportunity to be among the first to say to each of these young men and women: ``Thank you.''

I have had the privilege of working with Our Community Salutes of Northern Virginia since its inception in 2011. That year my office was contacted by one of the founding parents who upon learning that her son and other students at his school who had decided to enlist would not receive any recognition during graduation, joined with other parents to organize the first enlistee recognition ceremony of its kind in the region. The first ceremony recognized a total of 9 students. This year, we will recognize 129 young men and women who have chosen to serve our country in uniform.

With graduation season upon us, thousands of young people in my community, and millions across the nation, are preparing for the next chapter in their lives. Some will pursue higher education or vocational training, others will seek to enter the workforce immediately, and many will answer the call to serve their community and their country.

The United States of America has distinguished itself from other nations through the entrepreneurship and spirit of our people, the knowledge that we can achieve any goal if we set our minds to it, our inherent compassion and generosity, our fierce patriotism, and the extraordinary sacrifices and dedication to country exhibited by the members of our Armed Forces. The young men and women from our community who will be enlisting possess an abundance of each of these qualities. I join with their families and friends in congratulating and commending the following graduates on their enlistment in the United States Navy:

Teresa Bailey, Sullivan Stansfield, Kevin Quintanilla, Yeagwang Kim, Ryan Kokotkiewicz, and Saurav Bhandari.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding the courage and dedication of these graduates and in assuring them and their families that the full support and resources of the U.S. Congress and the American people will be behind them on every step

of their journey in defense our nation's freedom.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendment to the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2014 and 2015.

Under Section 307 of this Act, the Chief Information Officer of the Intelligence Community, along with the respective Chief Information Officers of each element that comprise the IC, are required to conduct an inventory of all existing software licenses--both used and unused-- and then assess the actions that could be carried out to achieve the greatest possible economies of scale and cost-savings in software procurement and usage.

My commonsense amendment simply ensures that when those assessments are carried out, the CIOs will examine leading software license management practices.

By adopting Connolly #12, Congress will ensure that when the IC examines potential actions to enhance software license management and save taxpayer dollars, four leading practices will be included in the analysis.

The management practices contained in my amendment are derived from a recent report issued by the U.S. Government Accountability Office on May 22, 2014, entitled, ``Federal Software Licenses: Better Management Needed to Achieve Significant Savings Government-Wide.''

GAO consulted with software license management experts from the public and private sectors, prior to concluding that Federal agencies are generally not following best practices that could achieve significant cost-savings.

These best practices include increasing the centralization of the management of software licenses; increasing the regular tracking and maintaining of comprehensive inventories of software licenses using automated discovery and inventory tools and metrics; analyzing software license data to inform investment decisions; and providing appropriate personnel with sufficient software licenses management training.

I urge all my colleagues to support my straightforward amendment that will enhance the IC's ability to spend taxpayer dollars in the most effective and efficient manner possible when procuring and managing software licenses.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the House Foreign Affairs Committee for adopting the North Korea Sanctions Act of 2014. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of that legislation and was very pleased the committee unanimously adopted an amendment of mine to strengthen the legislation even further.

This is an Orwellian regime. In fact, it is so much so that I think it would make George Orwell blush that he had not the imagination for the kind of suppression, oppression, and degradation that occurs in the North Korean regime today.

Mr. Speaker, 200,000 North Koreans are in gulags throughout the country--freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and freedom of political practice all repressed; and the terrible, terrible suffering, preventing the reunification of Korean families even to visit, the complete lack of humanitarian regard by this brutal regime is something we Americans cannot ignore, and we here in Congress have an obligation to address.

I commend the House Foreign Affairs Committee today for adopting unanimously this important piece of legislation and eagerly look forward to supporting it when it comes here to the floor.

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

I want to thank Chairman Wolf and Ranking Member Fattah and their staffs for working with me and my staff and with other Members on a bipartisan basis to support this and similar amendments.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment would increase funding for Veterans Treatment Courts by $1 million. It does not cut the Census Bureau, however, to do it. With the additional funds provided by the amendment, a total of $6 million would be available for Veterans Treatment Courts in fiscal year 2015.

Our Nation's heroes are returning home from more than a decade of war, including from the longest war in American history, in Afghanistan. Upon their return, they bear the visible and the invisible wounds of deployment.

Substance abuse, posttraumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury--various disabilities--and various mental health disabilities can lead our returning heroes often down a difficult and lonely road in their attempts to transition to civilian life.

Twenty percent of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder or from major depression. One in six battles with substance abuse. Left undiagnosed or untreated, these illnesses can result in an encounter with the justice system. Worse yet, these illnesses can also lead to suicide, which veterans commit at twice the rate of the civilian population.

Fortunately, specialized Veterans Treatment Courts are being developed across the country to assist veterans who do find themselves in the justice system and who suffer from substance addiction or mental health disorders, so that they can alter their courses and find the assistance they deserve. The first such court was established in Buffalo, New York, in 2008.

Virginia, which is my home State and that of the distinguished manager of the bill, is home to the six largest veterans' populations in the United States, with nearly 850,000 veterans, a large number of whom live in my district and in that of Mr. Wolf's, the distinguished manager.

I am pleased that, locally, our State and local leaders in Fairfax County have had preliminary conversations about creating their own Veterans Treatment docket, and that is great. We have 76 veterans in our local detention centers today--that is just in Fairfax County--more than half of whom are there for nonviolent violations. Of course, those are just the veterans who have self-identified themselves as veterans.

Clearly, we need to look at our intake process to ensure we are identifying these veterans who are in need of assistance. By bringing veterans service organizations, State veterans services departments, and volunteer mentors into the courtroom, Veterans Treatment Courts promote community collaboration and can connect veterans with the programs and benefits they have not only earned, but need.

Having a veteran-only court docket ensures that everyone--from the judge to the volunteers--specializes in veterans' care, and the involvement of fellow veterans allows the defendant to experience the camaraderie to which he or she became accustomed in the military itself.

We know this model works, and it is our hope that this amendment provides Veterans Treatment Courts with some of the resources they are going to need in order to help veterans who fall into the justice system get back on the right track and transition back into the society they swore to defend, as we swore to protect them when they came home.

Mr. Chairman, finally, let me take a moment of personal privilege to congratulate my friend and colleague, Frank Wolf, on shepherding what is probably his last appropriations bill in the Congress.

Frank has been a leader on gang prevention in our community, on transportation--the Silver Line going to Dulles Airport--and on human rights all across the world.

Our community and Congress are very grateful for his service and especially for the integrity he brings to this institution. I am proud to call him a colleague. I am even prouder to call him my friend. I will miss him.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Offered By: Mr. Connolly

Amendment No. 23: Page 35, line 21, after the dollar

amount, insert ``(reduced by $1,120,000)''.

Page 35, line 24, after the dollar amount, insert

``(reduced by $1,120,000)''.

Page 44, line 6, after the dollar amount, insert

``(increased by $1,000,000)''.

Page 48, line 11, after the dollar amount, insert

``(increased by $1,000,000)''.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 45th anniversary of the Prince William Lassie League for their continued service and dedication of providing a youth softball sports program for Prince William County girls to all walks of life.

In 1969, a handful of rural Prince William County residents were concerned that there were not enough sports opportunities for young girls. They created a slow-pitch softball league for girls aged 6-16. This new sports venue quickly complimented the many sports venues for boys and provided girls a place of their own to play sports and have friendly competition. This new league of slow-pitch softball for girls was known as the ``Dale City Lassie League.''

In 1991, 22 years after its creation, the Dale City Lassie League became the Prince William Lassie League, which accommodated the growing county and its many families. With the dedication of volunteers and communities, the Lassie League has provided an avenue where young girls can develop athletic skills, cultivate life-long friends and learn sportsmanship. In the past 45 years, the Lassie League has supported between 12-15 thousand players and families through participation. The Lassie League now supports girls aged 5-18 and conducts two seasons (spring and fall) annually.

The doors to the Lassie League are open to all young girls in Prince William County, no matter what their social or economic background might be. For young girls whose family is financially limited, the Lassie League finds a way for that girl and her family to participate. The League also provides college scholarships annually to participating girls.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 45th anniversary of the Prince William Lassie League.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 25th anniversary of the Prince William Committee of 100.

The Prince William Committee of 100 was founded to pursue a simple but essential mission: examining issues facing Prince William County and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park by engaging topics through educational forums. By hosting thoughtful discussions and debates, the Committee pursues solutions to area problems and helps foster a better understanding of pressing community matters.

The Prince William Committee of 100 strives to attract membership that is representative of the cultural, political, professional, and demographic diversity of the Prince William area. Membership must reside or work in Prince William County or the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park and demonstrate that they are community stakeholders with a vested interest in local affairs.

It is my honor to enter into the Congressional Record the names of the current officers and board members of the Prince William Committee of 100. It is dedication like theirs that has helped sustain this vital organization for 25 years.

President: Denny Daugherty

Vice President: Jack Kooyoomjian

Secretary: Jan Cunard

Assistant Secretary: Carol Proven

Treasurer: Harry Wiggins

Assistant Treasurer: Patricia Bradburn

Brentsville Director: Mary Beth Schaal

Coles Director: Jim O'Connor

Gainesville Director: Carol Noggle

City of Manassas Director: Susan Bardenhagen

Neabsco Director: Patrick Durany

Occoquan Director: Don Scoggins

Potomac Director: James Young

Woodbridge Director: Antonio Merrick

At Large Director: Judy Anderson

At Large Director: Harry Glasgow

At Large Director: Connie Moser

At Large Director: Jane Beyer

Immediate Past President: Martha Hendley

Program Chair: Judy Zoll

Assistant Program Chair: Carol Noggle

Publicity Chair: Connie Moser

Assistant Publicity Chair: Nancy Vehrs

Auditors: Tony Guiffre and Judith Anderson

Webmaster: Jim O'Connor

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating the Prince William Committee of 100 on its 25th anniversary. The Committee helps create an active and more well-informed citizenry and our community is stronger for it.