As the federal government inches closer to a possible shutdown at the end of the week, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) says the local economy would be severely affected if no agreement is found.

“As we witnessed during the 2013 Republican government shutdown, Northern Virginia’s economy would be significantly affected. That 16-day shutdown cost nearly $24 billion in lost economic output,” Connolly said in a prepared statement Monday. “It is a reckless way to govern that hurts all Americans and must be avoided.”

The 2013 shutdown is estimated to have cost more than $217 million per day in federal and contractor wages in D.C. metropolitan area. In addition to a large number of federal employees, Reston is home to many government contractors including Leidos, which said in a statement to investors earlier this year that a shutdown could “result in our incurrence of substantial labor or other costs without reimbursement under customer contracts, or the delay or cancellation of key programs, which could have a negative effect on our cash flows and adversely affect our future results.”

Connolly put the blame for a potential government shutdown squarely on the shoulders of House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.):

“If Speaker Ryan wants to resort to hostage-taking over a border wall, then Republicans will own this shutdown,” the congressman said. “If he is willing to work with Democrats and pass a clean funding measure, however, then I am confident we can keep government open and working for our constituents.”

Board of Directors Election Winners Announced — David Bobzien, Eric Carr, John Mooney and Victoria White were announced Tuesday night as the winners of the Reston Association Board of Directors election. A full story will be posted later today on Reston Now. [Reston Association]

Report: Man Charged With Sexual Abuse Was Deported Felon — Media in D.C. reports that Oscar Perez Rangel, charged with sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl in Herndon, had previously been deported and was in the country illegally. [NBC Washington/WJLA]

Connolly: Hate Graffiti an Attack on Society — Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Fairfax) says of anti-Semitic vandalism at the Jewish Community Center and Little River United Church of Christ in Annandale that “an attack on one faith is an attack on all.” [Rep. Gerry Connelly/Facebook]

GMU Professor, Students to Perform in Reston — A free concert Thursday by Dr. Patricia Miller, director of vocal studies at George Mason University, and her advanced students will include performances from Gilbert and Sullivan’s opera “Iolanthe.” [Reston Community Center]

Reston’s voice in the House of Representatives, U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), has announced that he has joined the growing list of Democratic members of Congress who will not be attending the Inauguration of President Donald Trump on Friday.

In a statement released Wednesday morning, Connolly said Trump has left the country with “open, bleeding wounds.”

“After long reflection I have decided that I cannot attend the inauguration of Donald J Trump on Friday. His behavior and harmful words during and after the campaign have left the country I love with open, bleeding wounds. Instead of binding those wounds, he has poured salt on them. Instead of unifying us, he has reveled in driving wedges between us. His disparagement of an entire religion; his racist rants about minorities; his resurrection of white supremacy; his ridicule of the disabled; his blatant misogyny and boasting of unwanted sexual advances; his intimidation of the press; his repugnant attack on civil rights hero John Lewis; and his disturbing defense of and advocacy for Vladimir Putin — a KGB thug — threaten our democratic institutions. How can I celebrate that? The sordid aspects of his behavior must not become the new normal for America or her presidents.”

Connolly joins more than 50 of his peers who have publicly announced they will not attend the ceremony.

Editor’s Note: The answers to these questions were written by Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and do not reflect the opinions of Reston Now.

As Virginians prepare to head to the polls tomorrow, Reston Now had a chance to ask a few questions of Reston’s representative in Congress, Gerry Connolly, who is running unopposed for re-election.

RN: What do you most hope to accomplish in your next term?

GC: Protecting and growing Northern Virginia’s economy has always been my top priority. In my next term, I will continue working to end sequestration, get better pay and benefits for federal employees, and give commuters more transportation choices.

Our local economy is a delicate partnership between the federal government and the private sector. My job is to foster that partnership so that both succeed. The good news is our local economy continues to be strong, with an unemployment rate under 4 percent and solid growth.

Over the next two years, I’ll continue working to ensure we attract the good-paying jobs of the future by building on our success in technology to become a national hub for cyber-security investment.

RN: What effect does the winner of the presidential election have on those priorities? Will they change at all depending on whether Clinton or Trump wins?

GC: For the first time in history, one of the two major parties has nominated someone who doesn’t respect the basic norms of our democratic system. He has sought to delegitimize the election results by claiming the vote-counting process is “rigged” and, in an unprecedented manner, signaled that Hillary Clinton’s presidency is illegitimate before it has even begun. Read More

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va 11th) is among the Democrats taking part in a sit-in on the House of Representatives’ floor Wednesday to protest congressional inaction on gun legislation.

The sit-in is being led by Georgia Rep. John Lewis, a longtime civil rights leader who says “we have been silent for too long.”

“Sometimes you have to do something out of the ordinary,” said Lewis. “Sometimes you have to make a way out of no way. We have been too quiet for too long. “There comes a time when you have to say something, when you have to make a little noise, when you have to move your feet. This is the time. Now is the time to get in the way. The time to act is now. We will be silent no more.”

House Floor protest on no gun vote now joined by Senator Durbin of Illinois. Extraordinary event. Unprecedented — Gerry Connolly (@GerryConnolly) June 22, 2016

Connolly, who represents Reston, said in a statement:

The violence must end. In the wake of these almost weekly tragedies, the response from Congress is as predictable as it is disappointing. We offer our thoughts and prayers. We hold a moment of silence; anything to distract from the central cause, and common instrument, of these crimes. How many more must die before Congress acts?

 Today, I was proud to join Rep. John Lewis and House Democrats to once again call on Speaker Ryan to bring up a vote on the No Guns for Terrorist bill. Instead of acting, the House Majority decided to shut off the cameras to the People’s House.

Lewis wrote a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan demanding that he keep the House in session through its planned recess to debate and vote on gun control legislation.

From Newtown to Charleston… how long will it take for Congress to act? #NOMORESILENCE #goodtrouble pic.twitter.com/uH4G5HCQc5

— John Lewis (@repjohnlewis) June 22, 2016

“As the worst mass shooting in our nation’s history has underscored, our country cannot afford to stand by while this Congress continues to be paralyzed by politics,” wrote Lewis, according to CNN.

Other representatives joining the sit-in include Florida Rep. Frederica Wilson; Michigan Rep. Dale Kildee; Louisiana Rep. Cedric Richmond; Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes; and Connecticut Rep. John Larson.

Photo: Gerry Connolly/file photo

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D), Reston’s Congressional representative, said Metro’s response to the fatal smoke incident near the L’Enfant station last year was “appalling.”

Connolly’s remarks came in response to the National Transportation Safety Board’s report on the incident, which was released on Tuesday.

The report details a series of failures by the transit agency in the response to the Jan. 12, 2015 incident. Dozens of riders were injured, and one woman died.

Connolly said Metro is heading in the right direction under new General Manager Paul Wiedefeld, who “has taken commendable steps to right an agency reeling from crisis-to-crisis in his short time on the job, but he and his new safety team face a monumental task in tackling the institutional challenges that have been allowed to fester and erode not only the basic infrastructure but also rider and stakeholder confidence.”

Said Connolly in a statement:

It has been more than a year since the Yellow Line tragedy at L’Enfant Plaza, and today’s final report by the National Transportation Safety Board on its exhaustive investigation once again brings to the fore the painful and shocking memories of that day, which resulted in the death of Northern Virginia’s Carol Glover and injuries to dozens of other riders.

The NTSB’s findings show a systemic failure of Metro to instill a safety culture from its earliest days, leading to the steady march into mediocrity in which Metro now finds itself. From the lack of basic preventative maintenance to poor management of emergency response, the NTSB’s findings echo similar shortcomings uncovered by the FTA that have put at risk the safety of riders and Metro employees.

It is particularly appalling to learn Metro’s response to reports of smoke was to send trains loaded with passengers into a tunnel to investigate. I am relieved such an outrageous practice is no longer in place, but the mere fact it once existed speaks to the level of indifference to safety that had permeated the agency.

In this definitive report, NTSB has once again clearly made the compelling case that safety oversight would more appropriately be given to the Federal Rail Administration. Oversight is a three-legged stool: enforceable rules, inspections, and enforcement. I believe FRA, not FTA, can most expeditiously meet that challenge as Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia work to stand up the new Metro Safety Commission to provide more robust oversight and accountability.

Metro has been one of the National Capital Region’s greatest successes, but that investment has been allowed to stagnate. New General Manager Paul Wiedefeld has taken commendable steps to right an agency reeling from crisis-to-crisis in his short time on the job, but he and his new safety team face a monumental task in tackling the institutional challenges that have been allowed to fester and erode not only the basic infrastructure but also rider and stakeholder confidence.

It will once again take the combined effort of the local, state, and federal governments to restore Metro to a standard of safety and service for which the nation’s capital and its riders can be proud.

Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine (D) and Mark Warner (D) also said they were “extremely disturbed” that many of the safety hazards have not yet been addressed.

“We urge Metro, the Federal Transit Administration, and regional authorities to move as urgently as possible to ensure that the problems identified in this report finally get fixed once and for all,” the senators said in a statement.

Smoke fills a Metro car on Jan. 12, 2015/Credit JRogers202 via ARLnow.com

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va. 11th) announced on Thursday – at his annual St. Patrick’s Day Fete — that he would seek re-election to his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Together, we’ve made investments in education, transportation, and protected Northern Virginia’s economy,” Connolly told more than 1,000 supports at the Kena Shriners’ Temple for his 22nd Annual St. Patrick’s Day event. “We’ve fought hard for health care reform, affordable housing, environmental protections, Wall Street reform, and equality for all.”

“But there is still important work to be done,” he said. “We have to build on the progress we’ve made and continue to grow our economy. Congress needs to pass comprehensive immigration reform, make college more affordable, and enact sensible gun reforms that will keep our communities safe.”

Connolly, who is in his fourth term in Congress, was re-elected in 2014 with more than 57 percent of the vote. Prior to his election to Congress, he served 14 years on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, the last five as Chairman.

Thus far, no Republican challenger has been named. The Virginia 11th Congressional District Republican Committee meets May 14, where it will most likely nominate a candidate for the House seat.

Rep. Gerry Connolly/file photo

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va. 11th) called out his Republican colleagues for misogyny and disrespect in their treatment of Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards in a Capitol Hill hearing on Tuesday.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held the hearing in response to videos of released in July by a Pro-Life group in which a Planned Parenthood doctor explaining the process of providing fetal tissue to researchers.

Conservative lawmakers are seeking to stop more than $500 million in annual federal funding to Planned Parenthood.

“I hope every American woman is watching today’s hearings, because just the visuals tell you a lot,” said Connolly, who represents Reston. “My colleagues say there is no war on women. Look at how you [Richards] have been treated as a witness — intimidation, talking over you, criticizing your salary.”

“The disrespect the misogyny rampant here today tells us what is really going on here. This isn’t about some bogus video — this is about a conservative philosophy  that says we are Constitutionalists. We believe in rugged invidualism and personal liberty. … But there is an asterisk in that assertion, and that  is except when it comes to women controlling their own bodies and making their own health decisions.”

“You would never know that the Constitution, according to the Supreme Court, guarantees a right of choice,” Connolly continued. “[Republicans think] Hopefully we’re going to erode that choice and that right by using insinuation and slander and half truths to besmirch an organization whose primary role is to provide health services to women.”

Watch the rest of Connolly’s testimony in the video on The Hill’s You Tube channel (above).

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va. 11) says Metro “continues to lack a top-to-bottom culture of safety.”

Connolly’s remarks came at a briefing Tuesday of the DC-area House and Senate members by Federal Transit Administration (FTA) officials on its Safety Management Inspection of Metro.

“This FTA safety inspection confirms what many of us have feared, that Metro continues to lack a top-to-bottom culture of safety,” said Connolly. “It’s time for the Metro Board to bring on new leadership to get the system back on track. Restoring rider confidence in the system will require tougher oversight and new resources from all partners at the local, state, federal levels.”

The briefing was in response to the January incident at L’Enfant station, where one woman died and 84 passengers were hospitalized after their train car and the Metro tunnel filled with smoke. The FTA will release a report on the incident on Wednesday.

Said Connolly: “Sadly the FTA is just the latest oversight agency to cite concerns with Metro’s emergency management, training protocols, and maintenance backlog. It’s long past time that Metro makes safety its top priority.”

Sens. Warner  (D-Va.) and Kaine (D-Va.) said at the hearing Metro needs a turnaround specialist as its next general manager. Metro GM Richard Sarles left the agency in 2014.

“Unless Congress is willing to pass a long-term transportation bill, aging infrastructure and inadequate funding will keep causing transit challenges,” Kaine said in a Tweet.

Photo: Rep. Gerry Connolly (left) at Metro Silver Line opening in 2014.

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va. 11th) celebrated the wearing o’ the green with more than 1,000 elected officials and local supporters at his 21st annual St. Patrick’s Day Fete on Tuesday.

A highlight of the event at the Kena Temple Ballroom in Fairfax was Democratic Presidential Candidate Straw Poll.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took 48 percent of the vote. She was followed by former Virginia Senator Jim Webb (15 percent); Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren (10 percent), Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (7 percent), and Vice President Joe Biden and former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, (6 percent each). Write-ins for a variety of other names accounted for 8 percent of the straw poll vote. Straw polls are a tradition at the annual event.

Connolly was joined by Lt. Governor Ralph Northam, Rep. Don Beyer, Del, Ken Plum (Reston), Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair, as well as dozens of other state and local officeholders from across Northern Virginia.

The annual St. Patrick’s Day fete started as a small gathering at Connolly’s Fairfax home in 1995 when he was first elected to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

Rep. Gerry Connolly says the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors’ recent approval of the revitalization project for Crescent Apartments and the Lake Anne Plaza area is an important step in preserving affordable housing in Fairfax County.

Connolly (D-Va. 11th) represents Reston, as well as other parts of Fairfax County. He formerly served as the Chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, where he was an advocate for affordable housing.

“Not only will this redevelopment replace the current 181 affordable units and add four new ones for families with incomes at or below 60 percent of the area median income, but it also will add 175 new workforce housing units,” Connolly said. “In addition, the county will be able to re-invest the proceeds from this sale in additional affordable housing projects.”

The Board of Supervisors last week approved Lake Anne Development Partners’ (LADP) extensive plan to add more than 1,000 apartments and townhouses, mostly where the county owned Crescent Apartments stands today.

LADP’s plan also calls for 78,000 square feet of office space and 58,000 square feet of retail space, a modest-sized grocery store and realignment of Village Road. The project will also have a 1.1-acre central park, an outdoor amphitheater, a bike share station and 12 public art works, according to the project’s county staff report.

Crescent Apartments were purchased for $49.5 million by the county in 2006. Development conditions included replacement of the 181 affordable Crescent units with 185 units, as well as providing an additional 20 percent of units as workforce housing.

“This culminates a process we set in motion nine years ago when, during my tenure as Chairman, the Board purchased the Crescent apartments to prevent the loss of these affordable units, which were at risk of condominium conversion,” Connolly said in a release.

Connolly pointed out that Crescent was one of the early milestones of the Penny for Housing Fund, which he helped launch as part of Board of Supervisor’s Affordable Housing Initiative.

“Since 2006, the fund has provided more than $170 million to preserve 2,701 affordable units throughout the County as we work to reduce the sizable affordable housing gap that still exists,” said Connolly.

Many Crescent residents, as well as representatives of Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE), an advocacy group for low-income Fairfax County residents, spoke at the supervisors’ public hearing in February. During the process they have repeatedly reminded the supervisors to remember the Crescent residents and not price them out of their own neighborhoods.

However, Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield), the lone supervisor voting against the Crescent project last week, said there is too much affordable housing, and that will place a burden on local schools.

Connolly said incorporating housing for all levels of income continues the vision of Reston that founder Bob Simon started more than 50 years ago.

“Providing housing for people of all incomes was one of Bob Simon’s founding principles for Reston, and it is because of that inclusiveness that Reston, and the rest of our community, has thrived,” he said. “This also represents the next evolution of Lake Anne Plaza, which was built more than 50 years ago and was an early model for walkable, mixed-use development.

This new plan will add more than 1,000 residential units, restaurants, a grocery store, more retail, offices, and open space in a fashion that integrates multimodal transportation choices and fosters an even greater a sense of community in harmony with Bob Simon’s original vision.”

Next up in the process is site approval, and LADP officials said they hope to break ground in 2016. The project is expected to take 10 to 12 years to complete.

As the 114th Congress draws to a close, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va 11th) will hold his 22nd Telephone Town Hall Meeting for constituents Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 8 p.m.

Thousands of residents of Reston, parts of Fairfax County, Prince William County and Fairfax City will automatically receive calls inviting them to stay on the line as the one-hour meeting is about to begin.

If you want to guarantee you are called, you can let the Congressman’s office know by 2 p.m. Monday on his website.

Connolly will open the session with a short report on the recent actions in Congress, his legislative activities in the House, and other matters affecting Northern Virginia and the nation. The remainder of the hour-long session is dedicated to Connolly responding to questions asked by residents on the call. Constituents can also ask questions via Twitter to @GerryConnolly.

Connolly’s 21 previous tele-town hall meetings have been very popular with constituents, who note that they don’t have to drive to the event, they can participate from the comfort of their homes, and they can bow out quietly when they are ready to leave the discussion. Generally, telephone town halls draw a much higher rate of participation than the turnout at physical town halls and other constituent meetings, Connolly’s office said.

Photo: Gerry Connolly/Reston Now file photo

(Updated Wednesday, 7 a.m.)

Virginia 11th District Rep. Gerry Connolly (D) won another term to the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday, defeating main challenger Suzanne Scholte (R).

Connolly was declared the winner about 9 p.m. When all the votes were in, Connolly had 57 percent of the them to Scholte’s 40 percent. Joe Galdo (Green) and Marc Harrold (Libertarian) each earned less than 2 percent of the vote.

The 2014 midterm election marked Reston voters’ return to Connolly’s congressional district. Reston had been in the Virginia 8th District (then represented by Democrat Jim Moran) for a decade before 2010 redistricting returned the heavily Democratic bloc to the 11th.

Connolly, a former Chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, has been in Congress since 2008.

At his campaign gathering in Crystal City Tuesday night, Connolly thanked the 11th District voters “for placing your trust in me once again.”

“I shall strive to redeem their trust and to honor their values in all I do,” Connolly said.

Tuesday night’s victory marked the 10th consecutive election win for Connolly.

“We’re a divided country. It’s not just Congress that’s divided; our communities are divided: and our states are divided. And that’s because we share some values and we differ on others,” Connolly said.

Nearby, Republican State Del. Barbara Comstock was an easy winner (57 percent of the vote) over Democratic Fairfax County Supervisor John Foust (39 percent) in the 10th District. In the 8th, Don Beyer (D) earned 67 percent of the vote to defeat several challengers.

The two questions asked to Fairfax County voters also passed by large margins.

A Constitutional amendment allowing the Virginia General Assembly to provide property tax exemption to  surviving spouses of an armed forces member killed in action passed with 197,088 Fairfax County voters saying yes and 32,373 voting no.

Fairfax County also asked voters to authorize a $100 million transportation bond, which received more than 164,000 favorable votes.

The transportation bond is slated to provide:

• Spot road improvements to increase roadway capacity, reduce congestion, improve safety, and improve transit access ($16 million)
• Pedestrian improvements to improve capacity, enhance safety and complete missing pedestrian links that connect neighborhoods, and improve access to schools, Metrorail stations and activity centers ($78 million)
• Bicycle improvements that include developing new bicycle facilities, constructing trails, adding bicycle parking and enhancing accessibility ($6 million)

The Senate race between Mark Warner (D) and Ed Gillespie (R) was close and still being counted Tuesday night.

Photo: Gerry Connolly addresses supporters in Crystal City Tuesday night/Credit: Connolly campaign

This is a Q-and-A with Gerry Connolly, Democrat incumbent candidate for Virginia’s 11th Congressional District. His answers are unedited. To read thoughts from Republican Candidate Suzanne Scholte, read Reston Now’s Q-and-A with her.

Reston Now: You have been in close races and you have also won big in the past. You are leading this race in fundraising, have the endorsement of Washington Post and your opponent has never held elected office. Do  you ever take any challenger lightly?

Gerry Connolly: I don’t take any election lightly and always run like the devil is at my heels. This year is no different. Representing Northern Virginia in Congress is the great honor of my life and I never take it for granted.

RN: Midterm elections can be tough. Have you approached this campaign any differently?

GC: Every campaign is, of course, a little bit different. But just like in previous campaigns, I am running on my record of getting things done for Northern Virginia. Since my first election in 1995, I have worked with Democrats and Republicans to grow our economy, invest in transportation improvements, and make our community a great place to raise a family.

My opponent and I have very different views and philosophies of government. I am pro-choice — she is a leader of a right-wing organization that wants to ban abortion, even in cases of rape and incest, end funding for Planned Parenthood, and limit access to birth control for women.

I support reasonable gun safety measures — she has an “A” rating from the NRA and is their choice because she would support their extreme agenda.

I support the DREAM Act and comprehensive immigration reform — she opposes citizenship even for the children of undocumented immigrants. She certainly has a right to those views, but they just don’t reflect Northern Virginia or Reston values. Read More