Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding group of men and women in Northern Virginia. These individuals have demonstrated superior dedication to public safety and have been awarded the prestigious Valor Award by the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce.

The Valor Awards recognize remarkable heroism and bravery in the line of duty exemplified by our public safety agencies and their commitment to the community. Our public safety and law enforcement personnel put their lives on the line every day to keep our families and neighborhoods safe. This year's ceremony will recognize 36 individuals in a variety of categories including: the Lifesaving Award, the Certificate of Valor, and the Bronze or Silver Medal of Valor.

Five members of the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office are being honored this year for their exceptional service. It is with great pride that I submit the names of the following award recipients:

2013 Silver Medal of Valor Recipient: Master Deputy Sheriff Curtis A. LeMay

2013 Life Saving Award Recipients: Correctional Technician Mark J. Richey, Private First Class Brandon A. Pitts, Private First Class Morgan R. Walker, and Master Deputy Sheriff Dwight D. Greear.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the 2013 Valor Award Recipients, and thank each of the men and women who serve in the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office. Their efforts, made on behalf of the citizens of Fairfax County, are selfless acts of heroism and truly merit our highest praise. I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding this group of remarkable citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend Cate Fulkerson of Reston for her recognition as the Reston Citizen Association Citizen of the Year for 2012.

The Reston Citizens Association was founded in 1967 to promote and protect Reston's founding principles by serving as a non-partisan forum for all residents and as an advocate for the community with County and State governments.

The RCA Citizen of the Year award dates back to 1976 and is awarded to someone whose actions are consistent with the goals of Reston and the RCA. Recipients are recognized for contributing to the quality of life in Reston and for helping people in need.

Cate Fulkerson, a Reston native, is best known throughout the community for her various roles on the staff of the Reston Association, where she has worked since 1991 and now serves as second in command of an 80-person staff. Countless Restonians have benefitted from her outstanding customer service, efficiency, and professionalism. Cate insists that no one who contacts her organization with a problem or question is ever told to ``call someone else.''

Cate's service also extends deep into the community and she is well known as a ``powerhouse of enthusiasm'' in many endeavors. She has led the effort to bring the Character Counts program and Ethics Day to Reston schools, helped plan Reston's annual Martin Luther King Day celebration, organized walks to help the homeless, collected Christmas presents for needy kids, and served as Board President of Leadership Fairfax. Her dedication to Reston has been recognized by multiple community organizations, including the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, which presented Cate with its Volunteer of the Year for 2012.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues rise to join me in congratulating Cate Fulkerson for this award and thanking her for her committed and selfless service to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize and give thanks acknowledge and give thanks to Volunteer Fairfax and the extraordinary honorees of the 21st Annual Fairfax County Volunteer Service Awards.

Volunteer Fairfax matches the skills and interests of volunteers to the needs of local non-profit organizations. Volunteer time and services valued at nearly $1 million are contributed annually to more than 900 public and

private non-profit agencies, which enables these organizations to meet crucial community needs. With great pleasure, I submit the following names of the Service Award honorees into the Congressional Record:

Community Champions: Amy Gould, Braddock District; Bill Sudow, Dranesville District; Stuart Rakoff, Hunter Mill District; Suzette Kern, Lee District; Ken and Camille Mittelholtz, Mason District; Shep Crow, Mount District; Dunn Loring Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department, Providence District; Cherilyn Murphy, Springfield District; Yom Chu Kim, Sully District; Stella Koch, At-Large.

Adult Volunteer 250 Hours & Over: Hazel Poole.

Adult Volunteer 250 Hours & Under: Robin Falci.

Adult Volunteer Group: Gracing Spaces.

Corporate Volunteer Program: Balfour Beatty Spirit.

Fairfax County Volunteer: Bobbi Cippel.

Fairfax County Volunteer Program: Stronger Together Supervised Visitation and Exchange Program.

Family Volunteer: The Jenkins Family.

Lifetime Achievement: Irma Clifton.

Integrate Individual: Alcira Pernot.

Integrate Group: Centreville Immigration Forum.

Rising Star: Mike Sneed.

Senior Volunteer: Ann Marquis.

Volunteer Program: Fairfax Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).

Youth Volunteer: Benjamin Roodberg.

Youth Volunteer Group: Messiah in Mission from Messiah United Methodist Church.

Youth Benchmark 100 Honorees: Sandhya Chandar, Laura Kidd, Aiden Levy, Gabrielle Levy, Christopher Marty, Erin McFarland, Abrar Omeish, Timothy Pham, Katherine Rohloff, Benjamin Roodberg, Madeline Roodberg, Zack Sanders, Zoe Smith, Leilani Wolf.

Benchmark 250 Honorees: Jael Abdelwahed, Terry Angelotti, Kathi Baker, Maureen Barrett, Leona Bates, Ruth Benker, Charles Camp, Mark Cohen, Robert Dutrow, Denise Echols, Leslie Fetty, Anne Fogle, Emilie Gillanders, Johan Glembocki, Richard Goehner, Ginger Higgins, Debra Hoeg, David Kline, Cathy Lanni, Melissa Lopes, Michelle Lord, Ludeane Maughan, Bev Morse, Peter Mory, Alcira Pernot, Jane Perry, Helen Repasy, Sarah Samuel, Ruth Schrott, Vince Sescoe, Mike Sneed, Emily Ward, Grace Wolf.

Benchmark 500 Honorees: Mary Anne Cummins, Don Di Spirito, Mary Lee Di Spirito, Mary Ann Lecos, Andrew Levy, Ann Marquis, Diane Sandford.

Benchmark 1000 Honorees: Mohammad Alam, Naila Alam.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues and I join in acknowledging Volunteer Fairfax for 37 years of outstanding community service and in thanking the 2013 Service Award honorees for their incredible contributions to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly believe that all Americans, particularly Federal workers, should pay their taxes in full and on time, period. Fortunately, according to the most recent tax compliance statistics from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the vast majority of Federal workers, more than 96 percent, pay their taxes in full and on time.

This admirable compliance rate is especially impressive when considering that the Nation's overall compliance rate is approximately 83 percent. Further, with an average delinquency rate for Federal employees of 3.3 percent, compared to an average delinquency rate of 7.4 percent for all American taxpayers, it is clear that our dedicated civil servants take their tax obligations seriously. In addition, for the small minority of Federal employees who fall behind on their taxes, the causes of financial hardship are not unique to Federal workers, but similar to the challenges and circumstances facing many middle class American families who find themselves temporarily unable to meet their tax obligations as a result of life-changing hardships, such as a divorce, serious illness, or a spouse losing a job.

Simply put, H.R. 249 is a solution in search of a problem.

The Congressional Budget Office cost estimate found that implementing H.R. 249 will cost taxpayers $1 million in 2014 and about

$500,000 in subsequent years, since it will not enhance revenues. Although it may seem counterintuitive that the so-called ``Federal Employee Tax Accountability Act'' would increase the deficit, it is logical when one considers current law. Presently, the law provides for a hierarchy of penalties based on the seriousness and willfulness of the offense related to improperly filing a tax return, and it provides IRS the authority to garnish wages to recoup owed taxes from employees.

H.R. 249 would replace this system with an inflexible mandate to fire any Federal employee with an outstanding tax debt to the Federal Government for which a public lien has been filed. If my Republican colleagues are so concerned about tax delinquency, then why not use the $1 million cost of this legislation to hire additional IRS enforcement agents to chip away at our Nation's net tax gap of approximately $385 billion?

We recently held a hearing where the head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office stated that the tax gap is the single largest item we can address to achieve savings. Could it be that actually recognizing such valuable work does not fit neatly with their negative narrative of the Federal workforce? Spending more than $1 million to implement H.R. 249, which only targets our country's civil servants and does nothing to address our Nation's $385 billion tax gap, is neither a prudent nor wise policy response. I urge all Members to oppose this legislation.

During the past 2 weeks, I met with local employers and constituents who expressed continued frustration with the negative effects of sequestration in our community. Republicans and Democrats alike spent most of the past year warning of the dire consequences these cuts would have on our economy, and yet the recently adopted continuing resolution for the rest of the fiscal year bakes in those very harmful cuts. I share my constituents' frustrations, which is why I voted against the self-inflicted wound on our economy.

Every community in America will feel the ripple effects of sequestration, but my northern Virginia district will be disproportionately impacted because of the high concentration of military facilities, Federal employees and businesses that partner with the Federal Government. We do cybersecurity, custodial services, and everything in between. I met with a number of these employers. They expressed real concern that the lingering uncertainty over sequestration threatens job security and the ability to remain competitive economically.

I fear the consequences of sequestration and what that will mean to small businesses that don't have the same resources as their larger counterparts to weather these steep cuts. I visited one company with 200 employees who are developing a laser-based flight guidance system for NASA through a Small Business Innovation Research grant. Just recently, it announced that their technology is being deployed through a contract with the Defense Department to assist with remote detection of explosives to better protect our troops in the field. They're worried about cutbacks.

The Small Business Administration's fiscal '13 budget will be reduced by more than $92 million as a result of sequestration, and more than one-fourth of those cuts will come from the Small Business Loan Program, directly affecting small businesses, veteran-owned businesses, and female- and minority-owned businesses in their ability to hire. As my colleagues know, the Federal Government has a small business contracting goal of 23 percent. We have fallen short of that goal in the last 6 years, and sequestration will actually make it harder to ever achieve that goal.

I also met with my local chamber of commerce to discuss its desire to expand the regional Metro system here in the Nation's Capital to accommodate future growth and development throughout the region. The most recent census data says our community has the highest concentration of mega-commuters in the country. There is no question we need to invest more in our regional transportation network. This particular proposal enjoys bipartisan support, but yet, under sequestration, it's headed nowhere because the New Starts program, under the Federal Transit Administration, will be cut by as much as $100 million because of sequestration.

Whether it's cuts in small business assistance or in transportation, sequestration is reducing our investments in the very things that create jobs and provide for our competitive advantage in the future. Local realtors I met with expressed concern about the uncertainty of sequestration putting the brakes on sales just as regional and national housing markets are finally showing signs of a robust recovery. The slow-down in Federal spending is already creating a drag on local economies. A 22 percent drop in defense spending shaved nearly 3 points off economic growth in the last quarter, and the CBO projects it could be half of the growth otherwise projected in all of 2013 because of sequestration.

Madam Speaker, I don't argue that cuts are needed, but sequestration uses a mindless, meat-ax approach in which nothing is spared and nothing is differentiated. I've long called for Members of the House to work together in a bipartisan fashion and in a balanced way--balanced between revenue growth and discrete spending cuts--to move forward and reduce the debt. This week's delivery of the President's budget is a heartening sign because he does just that. I hope we will heed his budget. I hope we will try to work with the President to achieve a balanced approach that replaces this mindless sequestration.

Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague from Maryland for his leadership on these very difficult issues.

Mr. Chairman, if you like sequestration that cuts $1.2 trillion in discretionary domestic spending, you're going to love the Republican budget which actually quintuples that. And then there's the RSC budget that goes even further. So while the Ryan budget cuts almost $6 trillion over the next 10 years in investments, this budget, the RSC, cuts $7.7 trillion. Yes, it cuts funding, as the last speaker just said, but at what expense? At what cost? We are, with this budget and with the underlying Ryan budget, we are disinvesting in America. We are walking away from research and development investments. We're walking away from infrastructure investments.

We are walking away from STEM and education investments. Those are the three legs of a stool that makes a great country great.

George Washington understood that and was a big champion of infrastructure investment and education.

Abraham Lincoln understood that in the midst of the Civil War when he invested, and this Congress invested, in the Transcontinental Railroad, in the Land Grant Research College System, in the Homestead Act, yes, and even completing the dome of this building, because they understood it was important to invest in the future of this country.

These two budgets walk away from that future. In fact, they almost guarantee a bleak future for America with

respect to the competition. The Chinese aren't making these kinds of mistakes, we should not either.

I urge defeat of both the RSC budget, Mr. Chairman, and the Ryan budget when it comes up.

Madam Chair, the demand for employment services and skills training continues to grow. In my Northern Virginia district, the local Workforce Investment Board fielded nearly 90,000 requests for job search assistance last year, and those requests have increased 170% since 2007. During my tenure as Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, I served as the Chief Local Elected Official on the Workforce Investment Board and witnessed firsthand the collaboration among local businesses, community colleges, universities, nonprofits, governments and other community organizations to offer valuable skills training and workforce support in our community.

The federal Workforce Investment Act was enacted 15 years ago, and its authorization expired 10 years ago. Thankfully Congress has continued to fund these vital services to help job-seekers access the training they need to find work and help employers find the skilled workers they need to operate. While the Workforce Investment Act is long overdue for modernization, the bill before the House today, H.R. 803, falls short of the mark. Under the guise of efficiency, it eliminates 35 workforce programs currently serving low-income adults, seniors, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and youth. By converting to block grant funding, it shifts too much authority to the states at the expense of local jurisdictions. That is why organizations like the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National Association of Counties, the National League of Cities, and the National Association of Workforce Boards oppose H.R. 803. In fact, my local workforce board estimates that local governments will face an additional financial burden under this legislation at a time when their budgets can least afford it. In addition, this bill sets an arbitrarily low level of funding and freezes it for the next six years. These investments are creating a more skilled and productive workforce. We ought to be investing more not less in this effort, yet workforce funding has been cut in half over the past decade. And lastly, this bill unnecessarily changes the makeup of local workforce board membership at the expense of local community organizations, which is why groups like the Easter Seals, Goodwill, the National Disability Rights Network, the National Coalition for Literacy, the United Way, and others oppose it.

The Workforce Investment Act has until recently been a bipartisan effort, and I urge my colleagues to pursue reforms that will renew that tradition to better serve those seeking work assistance in our communities.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding.

It's really a shame we've come to this point where the dysfunction of this Congress is going to inflict harm on families, on the military, and on communities throughout America.

I have great respect for my friend from Oklahoma. He has reached across the aisle, and he has tried to work with us to find common solutions, but he knows the truth. The truth is that discretionary domestic spending as a percentage of our GDP is at the lowest it's been since the Eisenhower administration. He knows that the Federal tax burden, the revenue side of the ledger, is the lowest since Harry Truman was in the White House. He knows that the gap between spending and revenue has grown since the last time we balanced the budget under Bill Clinton, when it was much closer.

We have to get our arms around spending, but not in a mindless, meat- ax way. It is going to hurt America. And to bake it into this continuing resolution, in my view, is a terrible mistake. If the Republican side of the aisle wants to embrace sequestration as its own with this fairy tale that ``it's just a haircut; it's not much, especially when you look at the overall size of Federal spending,'' that will come as news to communities, to travelers, to consumers, and to the American public who, in fact, will feel the brunt of the sequestration in this continuing resolution.

The other aspect of this continuing resolution, and why I oppose this rule, Mr. Speaker, is that, once again, we treat the Federal employee like a punching bag. For the 3rd year in a row, we freeze their salary. They have already contributed, and they were the only group singled out to contribute to the Federal debt reduction to the tune of $100 billion in lost wages and benefit cutbacks. We use the freeze on Congress as a subterfuge to get at Federal employees.

I urge my colleagues to vote against the rule and support my bill to freeze congressional salaries, H.R. 636. Seventy-three cosponsors have already decided to do so.

It is a shame that House Republicans cannot find a way to put aside ideology to work with us to avert the devastating cuts of sequestration. The Continuing Resolution presents the perfect opportunity to stop this self-inflicted wound on our economy, our military, and our families.

The consequences of Republican inaction will be particularly hard felt in my community, which is home to so many people who work for or partner with the federal government. That pain will spread across Virginia and the rest of the nation as no community will be spared from these meat-axe cuts as they ripple through the economy. Every community that receives direct federal assistance, has residents who work for the federal government or is home to an employer who does work with the federal government will be affected.

The slowdon in government spending has been a drag on local and state economies across the entire country and the unemployment rate for the past two years. GDP growth in the 4th Quarter of 2012 slowed to 0.1% after growing at 3.1% in the 3rd Quarter based largely on a 22% reduction in defense spending.

Now the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects economic growth for this year will be half of what it otherwise might be as a result of these new cuts. In addition, a study by George Mason University estimates sequestration will lead to loss of more than 2 million jobs.

Since last August, I have joined members of the regional delegation, as well as industry leaders and federal employee groups, in calling on Congress to find a balanced alternative to sequestration. I agree that we must take reasonable steps to address our debt. However, I cannot accept the House Republican philosophy that the only way to do this is through cuts alone.

We cannot cut our way to prosperity. We must have a balanced approach that finds strategic cuts and savings while maintaining critical investments that ensure our competitiveness in the global economy.

I urge my colleagues to vote against this rule so that we can bring up a balanced approach to replace sequestration along with my

bill to protect federal employees from yet another pay freeze.

My bill, H.R. 636, would freeze Member salaries for the duration of the 113th Congress. If anyone's salary should be frozen as a result of our nation's fiscal situation it is Members of Congress.

Our dedicated Federal employees are on the front lines protecting and serving the public every day in our communities. Yet House Republicans have routinely used them as a punching bag. The men and women who have dedicated their careers to public service are still weathering a pay freeze that will have lasted more than two years, and they have made sacrifices in pay and benefits totaling more than $100 billion to help reduce our nation's debt.

Now, because House Republicans refuse to work with us to avert sequestration, they are facing furloughs and the loss of up to 20% of their pay in some cases on top of having their pay frozen for a third consecutive year as part of this CR.

Mr. Speaker, sequestration was put in place to force Congress to act, not to become law. I remain committed to preventing these harmful cuts, and I urge my colleagues to join me in voting against this rule so we can bring up a balanced approach that will do just that.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Fairfax County Youth Football League and to congratulate the 2013 Fairfax County Football Hall of Fame honorees and scholarship award recipients.

The importance of youth sports cannot be overstated. Participation in organized sports instills in our youth many values that will serve them well throughout life. These values include sportsmanship, teamwork, honesty, a sense of belonging, and maybe most important, the work ethic developed by striving for success and working to achieve a common goal. Organized youth sports also contribute to our society. Studies have shown a correlation between participation in sporting activities and increased academic performance. Some studies indicate that a reduction in gang activity can be partially attributed to refocusing at-risk children into organized, supervised activities such as youth sports.

I commend the Fairfax County Youth Football League for providing opportunities for our children to succeed and be a part of a team. I also congratulate the following students, coaches and community leaders who are being recognized at the 23rd Annual Fairfax County Football Hall of Fame:

$1,500 Scholarship Award Recipients: Raina Aide (Cheerleading, J.E.B. Stuart HS), Harrison ``Sonny'' Romine (Football, Chantilly HS), Brian Deely (Football, Westfield HS), and Ben Sanford (Football, Madison HS)

Fairfax County Football Hall of Fame 2013 Inductees: Evan Royster (Washington Redskins, Penn State, Westfield HS, FPYC), Bruce Hanson (Head Coach, Yorktown HS), and Steve Wilmer (Coach/Commissioner--McLean Youth Football)

Football Official of the Year--Youth Sports: Steve Caruso (Fairfax County Football Officials Association)

Karl Davey Community Achievement Award: Tom Healy (Southwestern Youth Association, FCYFL)

Tom Davis Meritorious Service Award: Deb Garris (Manager, Synthetic Turf Branch, Fairfax County Park Authority)

Gene Nelson Commissioner of the Year Award: Jason McEachin (Dulles South Youth Sports)

High School Players of the Year: Jonathan Allen (Stone Bridge HS), Tyler Donnelly (Yorktown HS), Oren Burks (South County HS), Sean Huelskamp (Chantilly HS), Scott Carpenter (Gonzaga College HS), Nick Newman (Battlefield HS)

High School Coaches of the Year: Mickey Thompson (Stone Bridge HS), Jason Rowley (Oakton HS)

Youth Sports Players of the Year: Avery Howard (Manassas YFL), Virginia ``Ginny'' Delacruz (SYC), Justin Burke (RYA), Preston Bacon (CYA), Miles Thompson (Fairfax Police Youth Club), Anthony Eaton, Jr. (Alexandria Youth Football), Hunter Godin (APYFL), Robbie McGoff (SCAA), Nicholas DiVecchia (SYA), Markel Harrison (VYI), Carlo Esposito (BRYC), Michael Bayeux-Gary (HOYF), Phillippe Oliveros (CYA), Joshua Breece (Ft. Belvoir Youth Sports), Noah Adler (VYI), Christian Jessup (Dulles South Youth League)

Youth Sports Coaches of the Year: Anthony Price (Gum Springs Community Center), Buddy Morris (BRYC), Tommy Durand (Arlington Football League), Donny Cooke (VYI)

Youth Cheerleaders of the Year: Haley Clay (Dulles South Youth League), Rachel Strauss (VYI), Angel Bailey (HOYC), Asjah Snead (HOYC), Meghan Adams (GHYFL)

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating the Fairfax County Youth Football League as well as those students, coaches and community leaders who are being honored at this 2013 Hall of Fame celebration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Springfield Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7327 and the recipients of its 2013 Annual Awards.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) traces its beginnings to 1899 when veterans of the Spanish American War established local organizations to bring awareness to their service and to advocate for veterans retirement benefits and improved medical care. Today, with membership of 2.2 million at approximately 8,100 posts worldwide, the VFW continues its efforts to support the men and women who have served our great country in uniform and their families.

The VFW has a distinguished record of service to the broader community. The VFW and Ladies Auxiliary contribute more than 13 million hours of volunteerism every year. In this field of champions, the Springfield VFW Post 7327 stands out for the depth of its commitment to our community.

Often called ``The Friendliest VFW Post in Virginia,'' Post 7327 has one of the most aggressive ADOPT-A UNIT programs in the entire VFW organization to support our service members stationed overseas. VFW Post 7327 visits the VA hospital at least quarterly; bringing along goodie bags for our Wounded Warriors. Each Thanksgiving and Christmas, VFW Post 7327 adopts military families in need through the USO and provides them with meal baskets for each holiday, Christmas gifts for all the children, commissary cards for the parents, and a Christmas party where the children can meet Santa and receive a gift filled stocking. The Ladies Auxiliary members collect, sort, and distribute more than 2,000 pieces of clothing each month to various charitable organizations. VFW Post 7327 is a strong supporter of local youth organizations including the Boys Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Little League Baseball that contribute greatly to the education and well being of our children.

Each year, VFW Post 7327 bestows awards to outstanding local citizens in recognition of their extraordinary actions and dedication. I congratulate the following individuals on receiving these 2013 Awards:

Teachers of the Year: Erin Poppe and Michael Walser.

Voice of Democracy: 1st Place: Michael D. Marriott, 2nd Place: Kathryn Cummins.

Patriot's Pen: 1st Place: Shane David King, 2nd Place: Sion Kim, 3rd Place: Rishon A. Elliott.

Police Officer of the Year: George Joca.

Emergency Medical Technician of the Year: Kayla Thompson.

VFW Post 7327 has also recognized JW & Friends Restaurant and the Northern Virginia Surgery Center for their continued support to the Post and its Ladies Auxiliary.

I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating the 2013 Awardees and in thanking the members, Ladies Auxiliary, and supporters of VFW Post 7327 for their continued service to our country and our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the recipients of Fairfax County 2012 Land Conservation and Tree Preservation and Planting Awards.

Fairfax County is considered one of the best counties in the nation in which to live, work and raise a family. One reason for this designation is the innovative environmental protection policies that have been implemented by the County and embraced by its business partners. I was pleased to have led that effort during my tenure as Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. These awards recognize the following developers, designers and site superintendents who have excelled in their stewardship of the environment:

Large Commercial: Belvoir Corporate Campus: Owner: Loisdale 24, LLC. Superintendent: Bruce Reed. Contractor: Goldin & Stafford, Inc. Engineer: Urban, LTD. Site Inspector: Jim Getts.

Small Commercial: INOVA Lorton Healthplex Phase I: Owner: INOVA Health Care Services. Superintendent: Giancarlo Bulfom. Contractor: Metro Earthworks. Engineer: Vika Virginia LLC. Site Inspector: Martin Klema.

Infill Log: Bull Run Woods Lot 12, Section 8: Owner: Trust Communities, Inc. Superintendent: Peter Judge. Contractor: Basheer & Edgemoore Bull Run, LLC. Engineer: Smith Engineering. Site Inspector: David Nichols.

Best Protected Environmentally Sensitive Site: Bull Run Woods Lot 12, Section 8: Owner: Trust Communities, Inc. Superintendent: Peter Judge. Contractor: Basheer & Edgemoore Bull Run, LLC. Engineer: Smith Engineering. Site Inspector: David Nichols.

Outstanding Engineering Firm: Smith Engineering for Bull Run Woods Lot 12, Section 8 and Urban Ltd. for Mallory Square and Belvoir Corporate Campus.

Outstanding Contractor: Basheer & Edgemoore for Bull Run Woods Lot 12, Section 8. Outstanding Superintendent: Giancarlo Bulfon for Belvoir Corporate Campus. Outstanding E/S Inspectors of the Year: David Nichols, Tom French and Martin Klema. Outstanding E/S Plan Reviewers of the Year: Aileen Santiago, Durga Kharel, and Thakur Dhakal.

Tree Preservation Award Recipients: Walker Nature Education Center. Developer: Reston Association. Design Professional: Paciulli Simmons & Assoc. Tree Preservation Contractor: HITT Contracting. Tree Preservation Consultant: Thrive, Incorporated--Plant Health Care Solutions.

Dolley Madison Library: Developer: Fairfax County, DPWES. Design Professional Engineers: Atkins Global. Design Professional-Contractor: Harvey Cleary Builders. Tree Preservation Contractor/Project Arborist: Zimar and Associates, Incorporates.

Valleybrook Montessori: Developer: Montessori School of Northern Virginia, Incorporated. Design Professional: Patton, Harris, Rust and Associates (A Pennoni Company). Tree Preservation Contractor: Zimar and Associates, Incorporated.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating these honorees. Fairfax County and its residents have benefitted greatly from the collaborative spirit that is represented by these awards today, and I thank each of the awardees for their efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce (the DRCC) for its ongoing dedication to local businesses and our community. The DRCC sponsors a fundraising event, Casino Royale, the proceeds of which will support programs for homeless children in Fairfax County. In addition, during this event, the DRCC will present its 2013 ``Educator of the Year'' Awards to educators who demonstrate exceptional effort and achievement.

The DRCC dates back to 1959, when it began as the Herndon Chamber of Commerce. Since its founding, the Chamber has

witnessed explosive regional growth and now serves the Town of Herndon; western Fairfax County, including the communities of Chantilly, Centreville and Fairfax; and eastern Loudoun County, including the communities of Sterling/Dulles, South Riding, and parts of Ashburn. The DRCC defines itself as a workforce chamber and is known for its leadership in the areas of diversity, education, and transportation advocacy.

As the former Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, and now as a Member of Congress representing much of this community, I have been proud to partner with the DRCC on promoting the region's pro- business climate and expanding Metro's Silver Line into the Dulles Corridor.

Northern Virginia is considered one of the best places in the country in which to live, work, and raise a family. One factor in this designation is our outstanding school systems. The DRCC recognizes the importance of a globally competitive K-12 education system to our workforce development and believes the most important investment Virginia can make is in human capital.

The jobs of the future and the ability of our businesses to compete rest in having a well-trained workforce. As an elected representative and a parent, I believe that investing in education and college access programs, with a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, is an investment in America and will spur innovation and set our young people on a path for lifelong success. This year's awardees have demonstrated how outstanding educators are crucial leaders on that journey. Therefore, I am pleased to join the chamber in congratulating the following recipients of the 2013 Educator of the Year Award:

Ms. Whitney Branisteanu, Dranesville Elementary School; Ms. Hallie Case, Herndon Middle School; Ms. Barbara Clougherty, Chantilly High School; Ms. Jen Howe, Chantilly Academy; Mr. Jeff Jones, Mountain View High School; Ms. Cheryl McGovern, Herndon Elementary School; Ms. Kelly Mosgrove, Ormond Stone Middle School; Ms. Amy Valint, Herndon High School; Ms. Kay Ward, Liberty Middle School.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating these individuals and thanking them for their many contributions to our children's success and our nation's future.

Mr. Speaker, as the nation's capital hosts a weekend celebration of women's suffrage on March 2 and 3, I want to share with my colleagues a little-known, national landmark in my--the Turning Point Memorial at the former Occoquan Workhouse, in Lorton.

From 1917 to 1919, more than 200 women from 26 states were arrested for ``obstructing traffic'' and ``holding a meeting on public grounds.'' Around 70 of those women, suffragists who were called ``Silent Sentinels,'' were imprisoned for picketing with signs and banners on the White House sidewalk demanding their right to vote. Police hauled them to the then Occoquan Workhouse, later called the Lorton Prison, in Fairfax County, where they were jailed.

Their incarceration was one of the most significant but least known events of the women's suffrage movement and a true turning point in the ultimately successful struggle. The gutsy women--labeled by some as ``unpatriotic'' -- held firm to their goals. Choosing jail over paying a $25 fine, one protested, ``Not a dollar of your fine shall we pay. To pay a fine would be an admission of guilt. We are innocent!''

Winning the right to vote took 72 years when Tennessee ratified the 19th Amendment in 1920, the largest extension of democratic rights in the nation's history. The suffragists' nonviolent actions pioneered civil rights tactics later used in other civic movements and their refusal to back down became a model for activists.

To recognize their struggle, the all-volunteer Turning Point Suffragist Memorial Association is building the memorial in the shadow of the nation's capital in Fairfax County. It will feature a waterfall and 19 stations (for the 19th Amendment) along a winding garden path to relate the history of the movement and the story of empowerment and perseverance. More information can be found online at www.suffragistmemorial.org. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commending the members and supporters of the Association and wishing them continued success with the memorial.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank and commend Lee Wright of Woodbridge, Va., for his 30 years of honorable service with the United States Air Force and for his subsequent 18 years of civilian service with the Defense Intelligence Agency. We are fortunate to have among us veterans with Mr. Wright's sense of duty and continued commitment to public service.

Mr. Wright began his career stationed at Cam Rahn Bay, RVN in 1964. After the war, Mr. Wright served at multiple air stations, eventually serving on staff at the USAF Military Air Command, Non-Commissioned Officer Academy. Mr. Wright soon moved on to DIA assignments spanning Western Europe, Turkey, Eurasia and Russia where he served multiple roles in intelligence operations. His devotion, hard work, and expertise on Russia led to successive roles within DIA's Russia/EURASIA Division, where Mr. Wright would eventually become Division Chief.

Since August of 2011, Mr. Wright has lent his considerable experience to DIA's Office of Congressional and Public Affairs where his leadership, work ethic and knowledge base have proven invaluable to his colleagues. There is little doubt that after 48 years of serving his country, Mr. Wright has earned some well-deserved R&R.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues rise to join me in recognizing and thanking Lee Wright for his committed and selfless service to his colleagues and our country. We wish Mr. Wright, his wife, Dottie, and his family well in retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the distinguished career of my constituent, Lori Saltzman. After 34 years of service in the United States federal government, Lori is retiring as the Director of the Health Sciences Division at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Lori began her career in the federal government in 1978 as a research scientist in the Pulmonary Branch of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, while attending graduate school at George Washington University. In 1984, she joined the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's Directorate for Health Sciences as a toxicologist, where she spent the remainder of her career.

In 1991, Lori was selected to be a candidate in CPSC's Women's Executive Leadership Program, where she learned valuable management skills that helped further CPSC's regulatory and policy development. In 1994, Lori was named acting director of the Health Effects division of Health Sciences and eventually Director of the Division of Health Sciences.

Under her leadership, the Health Sciences staff made significant contributions in helping the CPSC address a number of important consumer product issues, including assessing the toxicity and risk associated with the use of lead and cadmium in children's jewelry, fire retardant chemicals in upholstered furniture and mattresses, phthalates in children's products, and arsenic from pressure treated wood preservatives used on decks and playgrounds.

Lori also represented CPSC on numerous federal interagency groups and task forces. She served as one of the early co-chairs of the federally mandated Committee on Indoor Air Quality (CIAQ), as a federal liaison to the CDC's Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention (ACCLPP), and as a representative to the recent Interagency Task Force on Problem Drywall.

Because of Lori's understanding of CPSC's scientific issues, as well as its compliance and enforcement activities, her opinions and technical expertise were often relied upon by Compliance officials to support their actions against regulated industries. Throughout her career she has been dedicated to developing and mentoring her staff to assure that the Commission's compliance activities continue to be supported with the best scientific analyses possible. Her talents in both the scientific and policy arenas led to detail assignments as a special assistant with former CPSC Chairman Ann Brown and Commissioner Nancy Nord, as well as Associate Director in the CPSC's Office of Compliance. Among her many honors and accomplishments, Lori is also a licensed medical technologist registered with the American Society of Clinical Pathologists.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Lori Saltzman and in extending our Nation's gratitude to her for her honorable and dedicated service to the United States government. I wish her the best of luck in her retirement and all her future endeavors.