Gerald Edward Connolly (born March 30, 1950) is an American politician serving as the

U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

for Virginia's 11th congressional district, first elected in

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

. The district is anchored in Fairfax County, an affluent suburban county south of

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...

It includes all of

Fairfax City The City of Fairfax ( ), colloquially known as Fairfax City, Downtown Fairfax, Old Town Fairfax, Fairfax Courthouse, FFX, or simply Fairfax, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. At the 2010 census the po ...

and part of

Prince William County Prince William County is located on the Potomac River in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 482,204, making it Virginia's second-most populous county. Its county seat is the independent city of Manas ...

. Connolly is a member of the Democratic Party.

Early life

Connolly graduated from Maryknoll College in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, with a B.A. in literature in 1971, and completed a Master of Public Administration from Harvard's

Kennedy School of Government The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), officially the John F. Kennedy School of Government, is the school of public policy and government of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school offers master's degrees in public policy, public ...

in 1979.

Early career

Connolly worked from 1979 to 1989 with the

United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is a standing committee of the U.S. Senate charged with leading foreign-policy legislation and debate in the Senate. It is generally responsible for overseeing and funding foreign aid pro ...

, where he managed committee oversight of international economic issues, international narcotics control, and United Nations and Middle East policies, and published reports on U.S. policy in El Salvador, Central America, Israel, and the Persian Gulf region. From 1989 to 1997, he was Vice President of the Washington Office of SRI International. He was also Director of Community Relations for SAIC (Science Applications International Corporation). In local politics, Connolly served on the Fairfax Government Reorganization Commission from 1992 to 1993. In 1995, he was elected Providence District Supervisor, serving for nine years.

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors

Fairfax City Parade - 2015-07-04 - Gerry Connolly - 2

Connolly's career as a public official began on March 28, 1995, when he won a special election for the Providence District seat on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, defeating Republican Jeannemarie A. Devolites. A rematch against Devolites in November of that same year saw Connolly reelected to a full four-year term on the board. Connolly ran unopposed for reelection in November 1999. He was elected Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 2003 and reelected in 2007. As chairman of the ten-member board, Connolly balanced a $4.5 billion budget and managed a county that would be the nation's 13th-largest city, 12th-largest school district, and sixth-largest office market. He served as chairman of the county's Legislative Committee and vice-chair of the Economic Advisory Committee. Connolly also served as chairman of the board of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC), chairman of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC), and was chairman of the board of the

Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) is an independent, nonprofit association where area leaders address regional issues affecting the District of Columbia, suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia. Metropolitan Washington Council ...

(MWCOG). He also chaired the region's Emergency Preparedness Taskforce and represented Fairfax County on the board of the Virginia Association of Counties (VaCo), where he also served as president.

U.S. House of Representatives

Committee assignments

* Committee on Foreign Affairs (2009–present) ** Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia (2009–present) ** Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific (2013–present) *

Committee on Oversight and Reform The Committee on Oversight and Reform is the main investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives. The committee's broad jurisdiction and legislative authority make it one of the most influential and powerful panels in the ...

(2009–present) ** Subcommittee on Government Operations (chairman; 2013–present) ** Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation and Regulatory Affairs (2013–present) *U.S. Delegation to NATO Parliamentary Assembly (chairman; 2013–present) ;Past committee assignments * Committee on the Budget (2009-2011) * Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade (2011-2013) * Oversight Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Post Office, and the District of Columbia (2011-2013) * Oversight Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement (2011-2013)

Caucus memberships

American Sikh Congressional Caucus The American Sikh Congressional Caucus is a congressional caucus focusing on the interests of the American Sikh community. Co-launched by Judy Chu (D-California) and David Valadao (R-California), the caucus seeks to address issues such as militar ...

Congressional Arts Caucus The Congressional Arts Caucus is a registered Congressional Member Organization for the US House of Representatives in the 115th Congress. History The Congressional Arts Caucus was created in the 1980s as a way for the various members of Congres ...

* Congressional Taiwan Caucus (co-chair) *Congressional Cloud Computing Caucus (co-chair) *Congressional Cement Caucus * New Democrat Coalition * House Baltic Caucus * Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus * U.S.-Japan Caucus

Legislation sponsored

Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (H.R. 1232; 113th Congress) As the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Connolly co-sponsored this bill with Darrell Issa. It is a proposed bill that would make changes and reforms to the current framework that manages how the federal government buys new technology. One of the requirements would be that the government develop a streamlined plan for its acquisitions. The bill would increase the power of existing chief information officers (CIO) within federal agencies so that they could be more effective. Each agency would also be reduced to having only one CIO in the agency, who is then responsible for the success and failure of all IT projects in that agency. The bill would also require the federal government to make use of private sector best practices. The bill is intended to reduce IT procurement related waste. Explaining the bill, Connolly said that "there are more than 250 identified CIOs in the federal government, yet none possess the necessary authority to effectively manage IT investments" which has "resulted in duplicative and wasteful IT spending." It passed the House in a voice vote on February 25, 2014. Government Reports Elimination Act of 2014 (H.R. 4194; 113th Congress) As the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Connolly co-sponsored this bill with Darrell Issa. It is a proposed bill that would eliminate approximately 100 required federal agency reports that are considered redundant or wasteful. Connolly argued that "in today's challenging fiscal environment, it is incumbent that we leverage every opportunity to streamline or eliminate antiquated agency reporting requirements that are duplicative, irrelevant or simply ignored." The bill passed in the House in a voice vote on April 28, 2014.

Political positions

Abortion

Connolly is pro-choice. He voted against the Stupak Amendment to the Affordable Care Act, which placed stringent limits on health insurance companies offering abortion services. During the budget amendments process in 2011, he voted against an amendment that would have prevented taxpayer funds from going to

Planned Parenthood The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is a nonprofit organization that provides reproductive health care in the United States and globally. It is a tax-exempt corporation under Internal Reven ...

Trump impeachment

Connolly voted in favor of the articles of the first impeachment of Donald Trump. He said during debate on the articles that extorting "a foreign country to investigate your political opponent is an unconstitutional abuse of power. To solicit foreign interference in an American election is an unconstitutional abuse of power."

Civil liberties

Connolly has voted for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 regarding funding the US Armed Forces, including the paychecks delivered to soldiers but also including a controversial provision that allows the government and the military to detain anyone "who was part of or substantially supported al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners", and anyone who commits a "belligerent act" against the United States or its coalition allies in aid of such enemy forces, under the law of war, "without trial, until the end of the hostilities authorized by the Authorization of Use of Military Force." The law would not grant new powers to the President but does codify federal court rulings on this issue and the detainment of unlawful combatants until hostilities are over is in accordance to the

Geneva Convention upright=1.15, Original document in single pages, 1864 The Geneva Conventions are four treaties, and three additional protocols, that establish international legal standards for humanitarian treatment in war. The singular term ''Geneva Conve ...

Economics

Connolly has voted for the

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) (), nicknamed the Recovery Act, was a stimulus package enacted by the 111th U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in February 2009. Developed in response to the Gr ...

, the

Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 The Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 (, ) is an Act for the United States government that combines bills funding the operations of each of the Cabinet departments, except Defense, Homeland Security, and Veteran Affairs into a single appropria ...

, the supplemental appropriations bill that established Cash for Clunkers, and the Cash for Clunkers Extension. Additionally, he voted for all of the 2010 governmental appropriations bills, and he voted for the Continuing Appropriations Act for 2011. He has voted against some large spending bills, including the release of $350 billion in bank bailout funds and a $154 billion spending bill because of concerns these would add to the federal deficit. He was a cosponsor of pay-as-you-go (

PAYGO PAYGO (Pay As You GO) is the practice in the United States of financing expenditures with funds that are currently available rather than borrowed. Budgeting The PAYGO compels new spending or tax changes not to add to the federal debt. Not to be co ...

) budget legislation that was signed into law in February 2010. In May 2011, Connolly voted to increase the debt ceiling, but the measure failed by a significant margin. It was his third such vote.

Energy

Connolly voted in favor of the

American Clean Energy and Security Act The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES) was an energy bill in the 111th United States Congress () that would have established a variant of an emissions trading plan similar to the European Union Emission Trading Scheme. The bill ...

of 2009, saying it would strengthen national security while spurring innovation in the energy industry. In 2010, he voted in favor of ending a moratorium on

deepwater drilling Deepwater drilling, or deep well drilling, is the process of creating holes in the Earth's crust using a drilling rig for oil extraction under the deep sea. There are approximately 3400 deepwater wells in the Gulf of Mexico with depths greater t ...

rigs that met certain safety standards. Connolly is one of the 35 congressmen who founded the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition.

LGBT issues

Connolly supports gay rights, having campaigned against the Marshall-Newman Amendment to the Virginia Constitution, which banned all gay unions from being performed or recognized in Virginia. In Congress, he voted in favor of repealing the contentious "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law that prohibited gays from serving openly in the military. He has also co-sponsored a few bills that would repeal portions of the Defense of Marriage Act—a federal law that had effectively banned same-sex marriage across the country.

Guns

While on the Board of Supervisors for Fairfax County, Connolly sponsored an ordinance that would have made it illegal to transport a loaded shotgun in the back of one's car. In Congress, Connolly signed on to a measure that would have closed the

gun show loophole Gun show loophole is a political term in the United States referring to the sale of firearms by private sellers, including those done at gun shows, that do not require the seller to conduct a federal background check of the buyer. This is al ...

by requiring that private sellers of firearms at gun shows engage in the same background check and reporting requirements as registered firearms dealers. Connolly opposes allowing concealed weapons in schools and on college campuses. In November 2011, Connolly voted against the National Right to Carry Reciprocity Act, which would have exempted non-residents of states that prohibit concealed weapons from those restrictions.

Health care

In 2009, Connolly was an early supporter of the Democratic health care plan, which ultimately became the America's Affordable Health Choices Act, as well as the

public health insurance option The public health insurance option, also known as the public insurance option or the public option, is a proposal to create a government-run health insurance agency that would compete with other private health insurance companies within the United ...

, saying at a live chat with constituents in September to a woman from Washington, D.C. that "One of my principles for health care reform is that it increases the choices you have. By setting up a health insurance exchange, we can give your family more insurance choices, hopefully including one that your daughter's doctor chooses to accept". Connolly voted against the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, and in 2010 for the America's Affordable Health Choices Act. Connolly cited deficit reduction in explaining his health care vote. Connolly has adopted a conservative stance on Medicare for all.

Marijuana

Connolly supports rescheduling marijuana to expand its availability for research and medicine.

Military veterans

Connolly was a cosponsor of the Helping Active Duty Deployed Act and the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act.

Syria

Connolly supported military intervention in Syria.

Political campaigns

2008

Connolly scored a 24-point victory over his closest opponent, former Congresswoman Leslie L. Byrne, in the 2008 Democratic primary. He then defeated Republican nominee Keith Fimian by more than ten points for the open seat held by Republican incumbent Tom Davis. The Independent Green Party candidate was Joseph P. Oddo.

2010

Connolly was challenged again by Fimian in 2010. Also running were Libertarian David L. Dotson, Independent Green David William Gillis, Jr., and Independent Christopher F. DeCarlo. Connolly won by fewer than a thousand votes.

2012

Connolly was challenged by Republican nominee Chris Perkins, Green nominee Joe Galdo and independent candidates Peter Marchetti, Chris DeCarlo and Mark Gibson. He received 61% of the vote. Connolly was significantly aided by redistricting. The old 11th had been reckoned a swing district, though Davis had held it without serious difficulty due to his popularity in the area. Redistricting made the 11th significantly more Democratic than its predecessor.

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

carried the old 11th with 57% of the vote in 2008, but would have carried it with 61% of the vote under the new lines—making it one of the most Democratic white-majority districts in the South.

2014

Connolly faced Republican

Suzanne Scholte Suzanne Scholte (born 1959, Connecticut) is an American human rights activist and congressional candidate. She is the president of the Defense Forum Foundation. She is also the Vice Co-Chair of the U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea an ...

, Green Joe Galdo, and Libertarian Marc Harrold in his reelection bid, winning with 56.86% of the vote.

2016

Connolly ran unopposed for reelection in 2016. He was reelected with 87.89% of the vote.

2018

Connolly faced Republican challenger, U.S. Army veteran Jeff Dove and Libertarian Stevan Porter in the 2018 election.

2020

Connolly faced a progressive primary challenger, Zainab Mohsini, ahead of the general election, his first primary challenger. Connolly won the Democratic primary against Mohsini. Connolly defeated Republican Manga Anantatmula in the 2020 election.

Electoral history

, + Fairfax County Board of Supervisors: Results 1995—2007 ! Year ! ! Subject ! Party ! Votes ! % ! ! Opponent ! Party ! Votes ! % ! ! Opponent ! Party ! Votes ! % ! , - , 1995-Special , , , , Gerald Connolly , , Democratic , , 4,478 , , 59.0 , , , Jeannemarie Devolites Davis , , Republican , , 3,104 , , 40.9 , , , , , , - ,

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake stri ...

, , , , Gerald Connolly , , Democratic , , 10,578 , , 55.8 , , , Jeannemarie Devolites Davis , , Republican , , 8,371 , , 44.1 , , , , , , - ,

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...

, , , , Gerald Connolly , , Democratic , , 14,309 , , 100.0 , , Unopposed , , , , , , , , , - ,

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, disintegrated during reentry into Atmosphere of Earth, Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an 2002– ...

, , , , Gerald Connolly , , Democratic , , 98,419 , , 53.1 , , , Mychele B. Brickner , , Republican , , 81,319 , , 43.9 , , Other , 5,465 , 2.9 , , - ,

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto ...

, , , , Gerald Connolly , , Democratic , , 113,830 , , 59.5 , , , Gary H. Baise , , Republican , , 68,403 , , 35.8 , , , Gail Parker , , Independent Green , , 8,990 , , 4.7 , + : Results 2008—2022 ! Year ! ! Subject ! Party ! Votes ! % ! ! Opponent ! Party ! Votes ! % ! ! Opponent ! Party ! Votes ! % ! , - ,

, , , , Gerald Connolly , , Democratic , , 196,598 , , 54.7 , , , Keith Fimian , , Republican , , 154,758 , , 43.0 , , , Joseph P. Oddo , , Independent Green , , 7,271 , , 2.0 , - ,

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull, Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A ...

, , , , Gerald Connolly , , Democratic , , 111,720 , , 49.2 , , , Keith Fimian , , Republican , , 110,739 , , 48.8 , , , Others , , , , 4,492 , , 2.0 , - ,

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gath ...

, , , , Gerald Connolly , , Democratic , , 202,606 , , 61.0 , , , Christopher Perkins , , Republican , , 117,902 , , 35.5 , , , Others , , , , 11,735 , , 3.5 , - , 2014 , , , , Gerald Connolly , , Democratic , , 106,780 , , 56.9 , , ,

, , Republican , , 75,796 , , 40.4 , , , Others , , , , 5,229 , , 2.8 , - ,

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh c ...

, , , , Gerald Connolly , , Democratic , , 247,818 , , 87.9 , , Unopposed , , , , , , Others , , , , 34,185 , , 12.1 , - , 2018 , , , , Gerald Connolly , , Democratic , , 219,191 , , 71.1 , , , Jeff Dove , , Republican , , 83,023 , , 26.9 , , , Others , , , , 6,052 , , 2.0 , - ,

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in ...

, , , , Gerald Connolly , , Democratic , , 280,725 , , 71.4 , , , Manga Anantatmula , , Republican , , 111,380 , , 28.3 , , , Others , , , , 1,136 , , 0.3 , - ,

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

, , , , Gerald Connolly , , Democratic , , 193,190 , , 66.7 , , , Jim Myles , , Republican , , 95,634 , , 33.0 , , , Others , , , , 852 , , 0.3 Fairfax City Parade - 2015-07-04 - Gerry Connolly - 4

Personal life

Connolly and his wife Cathy have lived in Mantua since 1979. Connolly is also a company member of The Providence Players of Fairfax, a

community theatre Community theatre refers to any theatrical performance made in relation to particular communities—its usage includes theatre made by, with, and for a community. It may refer to a production that is made entirely by a community with no outside hel ...

in Fairfax County, having acted in several of their shows. In 2004, Connolly was charged with "a misdemeanor count of hit and run" after causing an estimated $500 worth of property damage to a 2003 Ford Explorer and Connolly's 2003

Toyota Camry The Toyota Camry (; Japanese: トヨタ・カムリ ''Toyota Kamuri'') is an automobile sold internationally by the Japanese auto manufacturer Toyota since 1982, spanning multiple generations. Originally compact in size (narrow-body), the Camry ...

. Connolly claims he did not realize a collision took place when he swerved and then immediately stalled, forcing the Explorer to collide into Connolly's left front wheel. The

Fairfax County Police Department The Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) is a full-service law enforcement agency, located in Northern Virginia. The FCPD services a population of 1,081,726 residents within of Fairfax County, Virginia. The stated mission of the department i ...

was criticized for giving Connolly special treatment and potentially saving him from being forced to resign for a felony instead of a misdemeanor charge. A judge later dismissed the misdemeanor charge against Connolly, saying Connolly's "position and his duties have caused him to be oblivious to what is going on in his car". David Freddoso criticized the judge's ruling in the '' Washington Examiner''.

References

External links

Congressman Gerry Connolly
official U.S. House website
Gerry Connolly for Congress
* *
Campaign Finance Summary - Opensecrets.org
, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Connolly, Gerry 1950 births 21st-century American politicians Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia Harvard Kennedy School alumni Living people Members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors People from Fairfax County, Virginia Politicians from Boston United States congressional aides