Gerry Connolly

The unspent and repaid TARP funds represent the single largest opportunity for deficit reduction in our nation's history.

This year, 24 Republicans joined us in fiscal responsibility.

Although we did not create the deficit, we have a moral responsibility to address long-term deficits.

Many on the other side of the aisle recently have taken the position that deficits are a bad thing, while simultaneously ignoring the significant contributions of their own actions to increase the national debt.

It is important to note that we did not invent the concept of a budget deficit.

I was very heartened to hear you say that, in your paper, since you have gone to Brookings, you call for a combination of spending cuts and tax increases.

It was done at the price of political support in the other body. Because, as Ms. DeLauro pointed out, not a single member of that minority party here in this body was even willing to talk about the legislation.

I am worried about the fraying of the safety net at the state and local level.

I think it probably would.

Does that seem a rational concern on our part to you?

Does the public have any interest at all in wanting to see some kind of rational compensation limits in a company it has bailed out, the biggest in its history?

So the private sector, the free market, in fact, had failed, is that correct?

So it is not entirely arbitrary.

Let me just ask a final question. This has implications for, if you will, triage and the distribution of vaccines should it be in short supply.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for holding this hearing on a subject that is so important to the American public and to American public health.

Mr. Connolly's H.R. 2874, allowing for relief of tuition for servicemembers called to active service during one of their postsecondary semesters is a vital protection to the student veterans.

I find it unconscionable that the brave men and women putting their lives on the line to protect our freedom could be charged an early termination fee when deployment, not choice, necessitates the cancelation of these contracts and leases.

These are protections that have been identified by our veterans to make their transition into combat or a new station that much easier.

Thank you, Representative Edwards, Chairman Johnson, Ranking Member Boozman, and Members of the Subcommittee for allowing me to testify on behalf of COG today.

The Chesapeake Bay Restoration Act of 2009...includes a provision to authorize up to $1.5 billion in Federal cost-share funds for local government stormwater management efforts.

We want an action plan, we want a watershed management action plan.

Should there be some concern that, with the best of intentions, some of the cost-cutting measures being contemplated or undertaken could prove to be counterproductive?

I just don't want to see us, by default, allow the economic forces to define what the Postal Service will look like in the future.

I believe that any short-term steps must be taken in the context of consideration of the long-term business model for the Postal Service.

We need to match supply with demand, and we have talked about that as well today.