“I want to name a post office after my friend. He did many things. He worked with us. He served for a long time. He is a good example. That's my speech.”
Official Congressional Record
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his eloquent remarks. This legislation is a tribute to a giant of public service, a man whose legacy is written across Northern Virginia and across this institution. Gerry Connolly believed deeply in public service. He believed in this institution, in the work of representative democracy, and in the responsibility that comes with the oath of office. He knew that democracy doesn't sustain itself. It takes people willing to do the hard, unglamorous work of governing, legislating, organizing, compromising, and showing up for the communities they serve. Gerry was a singular force for good in Fairfax, and for 11 years, I had the privilege of serving as his chief of staff. I saw up close how he poured his significant intellect, his integrity, and his energy into serving our community every single day. He is somebody who served the public with every fiber of his being until his last day. He was widely respected here as one of Congress' most effective lawmakers. He was a champion for the Federal workers he represented, a champion for the Postal Service, a principled statesman who represented our Nation at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. I am confident he is the only person in history who will have served twice as president of the Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations and twice as the president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Before he served in Congress, he shaped the Fairfax County that my constituents know and enjoy today. He served on the board of supervisors from 1995 to 2008, including 5 years as chairman. He took enormous pride in that work and had a passion for the work of local government. Under his leadership, Fairfax County invested in smart growth, in transit, in environmental stewardship, in libraries, trails, and affordable housing. It is the public infrastructure that has transformed Fairfax and Northern Virginia into an economic engine and a national model. His legacy can be seen in the Silver Line metro extension, the Mosaic District in Merrifield, the Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail, and the Oakton Library. Gerry was an institutionalist in the best sense. He respected this House not as a monument but as a living instrument of democracy, one that must be used to hold power accountable, to protect the dignity of public service, to defend those who don't have a voice, and to stand up for our democratic values at home and abroad. Mr. Speaker, Gerry had a heart as big as his intellect. He loved people. He loved animals. He loved our community. He loved a good conversation, a good story, and even good gossip, sometimes to the frustration of those who were trying to keep him on schedule. Above all, Gerry was a family man. He loved his wife, Smitty, who is here with us today in the gallery, with a devotion that everyone around him could see. He was endlessly proud of his daughter, Caitlin, and welcomed his son-in-law, Mark, into that circle of love and loyalty that defined him. For all of his accomplishments in public, the center of his world was always his family and the joy he took in them. It revealed the same warmth and humanity that made him so beloved by those he represented. For me he was more than a Member of Congress. He was a mentor, a best friend, and a formative figure. Because of him, I am a better public servant, but more importantly, a better husband, father, and friend. I will carry his wisdom and his love for this community, for this institution with me for the rest of my life. Naming this post office for Congressman Gerald E. Connolly will ensure that generations of Fairfax residents are reminded of what public service looks like when it is rooted in integrity, vision, humor, and love of community. We lost a giant last year, and we honor Gerry's legacy by continuing the work he loved by serving others, speaking the truth, defending democracy, and never forgetting those who sent us here. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6332, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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