[edit] Education

• According to his website, Connolly supports increased federal investments in education and demands that "No Child Left Behind" be fully funded.
• Educational Training
  • Nothing posted to date
• Educational Funding
  • Nothing posted to date
• Teaching Evolution/Intelligent Design
  • Nothing posted to date

[edit] Energy

• On January 26, 2009, Representative Connolly joined 34 other Congressmen in founding the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), saying, "This new House caucus will play an important role in helping Congress define policy and legislative initiatives to reduce the impact of global warming and advance clean and renewable energy resources. Every member of this caucus is committed to taking action now to protect our environment, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and integrate green technology into our economy."^[1]
• Energy Policy
  • Introduced on 5/15/2009 by Rep. Waxman and cosponsored by Rep. Markey, the American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454) aims to create jobs, protect the environment, and increase American energy independence through new regulation of utilities and industry, as well as investment in an array of new technologies. Key provisions of this bill include: mandating that, by 2020, utilities meet 20% of their electricity demand through increased efficiency and/or renewable sources, implement new energy efficiency regulations for buildings and appliances, reduce carbon emissions from large US by more than 80% by 2050, as well as investing in new clean energy technologies and improving the energy efficiency of existing technology.
    
    Representative Connolly voted for this bill.
  • On June 26, 2009, Representative Connolly issued his statement supporting the American Clean Energy and Security Act, available on his website.
• Clean Coal Technology
  • Nothing posted to date
• Fuel Economy Standards
  • Nothing posted to date
• Nuclear Power
  • Template:Vote-EnergyDeptAppropriations2010House
• Renewable Energy
  • See stimulus discussion under Innovation section.

[edit] Environment

• On May 22, 2009, Representative Connolly hosted a workshop on land conservation in Virginia's 11th District with the Buckland Preservation Society.^[2][3]
• In a April 21, 2009, editorial in the Potomac News and Messenger Representative Connolly described his vision for transit-oriented smart growth across the Northern Virginia region and voiced his support for preserving the low-density character of Prince William County's "Rural Crescent." Connolly highlighted his effort to make the federal tax deduction for conservation easements permanent via the Conservation Easement Incentive Act of 2009 (H.R. 1831).
• After the House failed to pass S. 22 under suspension of the rules (which requires 2/3 to vote for a provision, but does not allow any amendments), the Senate called an unrelated bill, (HR 146), to carry the omnibus land bill. The bill is a combination of over 150 public land bills and will designate over 2 million acres of land as wilderness, improve the management of currently protected land, establish new water projects, and more. Swapping the original legislation in HR 146 for the land bill was designed to make finalizing the bill in the House easy.
  
  When HR 146 was brought to the Senate, Sen. Coburn (R-OK) introduced several amendments, though only one passed:
  • Amendment 682: to make it less likely that casual stone collectors would run afoul of the criminal restrictions on taking paleontological fossils from federal land (passed)
  • Amendment 675: to stop federal officials from using the power of eminent domain to take land from citizens. Critics say this amendment was unnecessary as eminent domain would not be used in any lands included in the bill.
  • Amendment 677: to require an annual report on the total size and cost of federal property.
  • Amendment 679: to strike provisions that would block renewable-energy development on public land
  • Amendment 680: to bar new construction in national parks until the Interior secretary certifies that current sites are up to date, and
  • Amendment 683: to eliminate what Coburn considers to be "frivolous" projects

The bill passed the Senate on March 19, 2009. It passed the House by a vote of 285-140 on March 25, 2009. Representative Connolly voted for this bill. It was then signed into law by President Obama on March 30, 2009.

• According to his website, Connolly makes it a priority to promote energy conservation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He has worked with the Sierra Club in the area of global warming. According to his issues paper, he has proposed 10 environmental objectives: 1) raise the Alternative Minimum Tax ceiling for the residential solar tax credit; 2) create free Home Weatherization program; 3) create grant program to leverage state and local expenditures on land conservation that protects communities’ drinking water supplies; 4) create Emergency Response Fund to protect our ecosystems from invasive species; 5) create cash reward for first company to commercially produce a 100 mpg car; 6) install auxiliary power units at Dulles International Airport to eliminate the need for airplane idling; 7) fund a study to identify sources of Endocrine Disruptor Compounds and methods to reduce Endocrine Disruptor pollution; 8) identify Critical Habitat for all Endangered Species; 9) make permanent the federal income tax credit for land preservation by conservation easement; 10) enhance land preservation to end below cost timber sales, natural gas extraction, and inappropriate motorized vehicle use on 600,000 acres of George Washington National Forest.

[edit] Climate Change

• On April 21, 2009, in honor of Earth Day, Representative Connolly spoke on the floor of the House, commending the investments made in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the positive impact they would have on mitigating the effects of climate change. The full statement is available on Connolly's website.

[edit] Health

• Template:Vote-HHRAndEducationAndAppropriations2010
• Introduced on March 3, 2009 by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (H.R. 1256) aims to increase the authority of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in regulating tobacco in America. The legislation would empower the FDA to require larger warning labels on cigarette packaging, control nicotine levels, and regulate the advertising and marketing of cigarettes. During the 110th Congress, an identical bill had passed in the House in July of 2008 but was never considered in the Senate. The current bill passed in the House on April 2, 2009 by a vote of 298-112. Representative Connolly voted for this bill. The Obama administration has released a statement in support of the bill and Senator Edward Kennedy stated that “the Senate will approve it expeditiously.”
• See stimulus discussion under Innovation section.
• According to his website, Connolly emphasizes preventive coverage, and he wants to make it illegal for insurance companies to deny coverage for preexisting conditions.
• Healthcare
  • In a August 9, 2009, editorial in the Potomac News and Messenger, Representative Connolly outlined what he has heard from constituents on health care reform and his vision for how reform should proceed. Connolly emphasized the unsustainable cost of health care in the United States, saying, "Health-care cost increases for families, small businesses and government are unsustainable. Premiums have doubled over the last nine years and we currently spend 18 percent of our nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on health care. If we do nothing, premiums will continue to rise and by 2040 we will be spending a staggering 34 percent of GDP. That’s why we need reform now. But we have to get it right." He went on to discuss how he intends to pay for the legislation, namely through cost savings.
  • On August 2, 2009, Representative Connolly appeared on MSNBC to discuss health care reform:

• • Representative Connolly has organized efforts among Democrats to keep tax increases on wealthy voters out of health care reform legislation. Connolly considers tax increases the last resort for paying for reform and instead believes that cost savings should make up the bulk of the financing. Virginia's 11th District has the highest median household income in the United States and 14% of Connolly's constituents come from households earning over $200,000 a year.^[4] Connolly has said, "Why are we talking about new taxes at all? We spend twice as much on health care as any other industrialized nation already...The insurance companies have not put a dime on the table...We should be looking at new taxes as a last resort. We need to look at savings first before we consider revenue enhancement."^[5] Connolly discussed his position on July 21, 2009, on CBS News' Washington Unplugged:^[6]

• • On July 1, 2009, Representative Connolly held a telephone town hall meeting to discuss health care reform. During the conversation, Connolly insisted that under the Democratic health care reform legislation before Congress, "If you like the coverage you have, you’ve got to be able to keep it." Connolly emphasized three areas that reform legislation would focus on: affordability, accessibility, and preventing "cherry-picking" by providers based on pre-existing conditions.^[7]
  • On June 30, 2009, Representative Connolly said in a conference call with reporters that he could not support a health care plan that included a tax on employee health benefits. "That would be a killer here in my district," said Connolly, "However, I think almost everything else ought to be on the table, including the public option."^[8]
  • On February 25, 2009, Representative Connolly introduced the Federal and Military Retiree Health Care Equity Act (H.R. 1203), in conjunction with Representatives Chris Van Hollen and Frank Wolf, which would exempt health care premiums paid by federal retirees from taxation.^[9]
    • Speaking on the bill, Connolly said, "In these trying economic times, the need has never been greater to make health insurance more affordable for federal and military retirees. Federal and military retirees lose ground every year as health insurance premiums skyrocket and this premium conversion bill will provide them with much needed tax relief. It is a matter of equity. Our federal retirees deserve the same right to pay for their health insurance premiums with pre-tax dollars as current federal employees."
  • After being vetoed twice by President Bush in 2007, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) (H.R. 2) bill was reintroduced in the 111th Congress on January 13, 2009. SCHIP provides a subsidy for children’s insurance for families that cannot afford private insurance yet earn too much to qualify for Medicaid. The cost of the program is funded by an increase in cigarette taxes of 62 cents per pack. The House of Representatives voted 289-139 to pass the bill on January 14, 2009. Representative Connolly voted for this bill. The Senate also passed SCHIP, and it was signed into law by President Obama on February 4, 2009.
• Embryonic Stem Cell Research
  • Nothing posted to date
• Non-Embryonic Stem Cell Research
  • Nothing posted to date
• Food
  • Template:Vote-FoodSafetyEnhancementAct2009House

[edit] Innovation

• Stimulus
  • On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1). This stimulus bill contains over $30 billion for energy initiatives including the Smart Grid Investment Program and advanced battery systems; $20 billion in tax incentives for renewable energy for both businesses and homes; over $8 billion for augmenting energy efficiency in federal buildings and housing programs; and $7 billion to extend broadband service to underserved communities. The Act also gives the National Science Foundation $3 billion for research; the National Institutes of Health over $10 billion for research and renovations; NASA $1 billion, a portion of which to employ more scientists; and the Department Of Energy’s Office of Science $1.6 billion for energy research. Finally, it provides $19 billion for a modernized Health Information Technology (HIT) system; $87 billion to help fund Medicaid programs; $1 billion for health prevention programs; subsidies for temporary insurance; and $19 billion for clean water and environmental restoration programs. For a more complete listing of the bill’s provisions, click here.
    
    It passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 246-183 on February 13th and passed the Senate on February 13th. Representative Connolly voted for this bill.
• COMPETES Act
  • Nothing posted to date

[edit] Research and Research Management

• Funding
  • See stimulus discussion under Innovation section.

[edit] Technology

• On March 18, 2009, Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN) introduced the Electronic Waste Research and Development Act (HR 1580) which works to reduce the waste caused by dumping unwanted electronics and to boost awareness of how to recycle such products. The bill would fund increased research on how to separate out hazardous material from waste as well as fund grants to universities to create curriculums to help in the reduction of this waste. HR 1580 passed in the House by voice vote on April 22, 2009. Representative Connolly voted for this legislation.
• See stimulus discussion under Innovation section.
• Representative Gerard E. Connolly is pushing to make the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) a permanent position in the White House in the bill H.R. 1910. The responsibilities of the CTO would include using technology to encourage innovation in technology. Connolly is stating in his bill that the CTO would be in charge of "assessing federal IT policies, analyzing trends inIT, developing IT to assist human resource management, evaluating the effect of systems on privacy and security, and advising the president on the federal IT budget." The CTO would also be responsible for "advancing intergovernmental and nationwide technology." Those who are not in favor of permanently establishing this position are skeptical of its necessity. They argue that there are too many responsibilities for the CTO with no indication of priority. ^[10]
• In February 2009, Representative Connolly was joined by Representative Jim Moran (D-8-VA) in urging President Obama to appoint Aneesh Chopra, Virginia Secretary of Technology, to the new White House post of Chief Technology Officer.^[11] On April 18, 2009, Obama appointed Chopra to the position.^[12]

[edit] Endnotes

1. ↑ Representative Connolly's House Website. 26 January 2009. http://connolly.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=44&parentid=6&sectiontree=6,44&itemid=61
2. ↑ Gotthardt, Katherine. "Neighborhood news: Connolly leads speakers at conservation forum." Potomac News and Messenger 16 June 2009. http://www2.insidenova.com/isn/news/local/gainesville/article/neighborhood_news_connolly_leads_speakers_at_conservation_forum/37599/
3. ↑ Representative Connolly's House Website. 22 May 2009. http://connolly.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=44&parentid=6&sectiontree=6,44&itemid=154
4. ↑ Weisman, Jonathan. "Democrats' New Worry: Their Own Rich Voters." Wall Street Journal 20 July 2009. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124804459318663479.html
5. ↑ O'Donoghue, Julia. "Connolly Opposes Tax On High Incomes." Connection 24 July 2009. http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=331162&paper=69&cat=104
6. ↑ Levi, Michelle. "House Freshman: Tax Increases Are Not Answer To Health Care." CBS News. 21 July, 2009. http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/07/21/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5177492.shtml
7. ↑ Hunley, Jonathan. "Connolly: Health care reform should uphold choice." Potomac News and Messenger 2 July 2009. http://www2.insidenova.com/isn/news/politics/article/connolly_health_care_reform_should_uphold_choice/38694/
8. ↑ Hunley, Jonathan. "Connolly: Taxing benefits is a no-go for health care reform." Potomac News and Messenger 30 June 2009. http://www2.insidenova.com/isn/news/politics/article/connolly_taxing_benefits_is_a_no-go_for_health_care_reform/38529/
9. ↑ Representative Connolly's House Website. "Federal & Military Health Care Equity Act Introduced." 25 February 2009. http://connolly.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=44&parentid=6&sectiontree=6,44&itemid=70
10. ↑ Sternstein, Aliya. "Congressman pushes to expand chief technology officer's influence." Next Gov. 22 Apr. 2009. Technology and the Business of Government. Accessed 28 Apr. 2009 <http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090422_8529.php>.
11. ↑ Representative Connolly's House Website. 25 February 2009. http://connolly.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=44&parentid=6&sectiontree=6,44&itemid=69
12. ↑ Anderson, Nate. "Obama appoints Virginia's Aneesh Chopra US CTO." Ars Technica 20 April 2009. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/04/obama-appoints-virginias-aneesh-chopra-us-cto.ars