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Warner, Connolly start terms in Congress
Congressional Democrats officially expanded their majority in the Senate and House of Representatives this past Tuesday, bringing along with them two faces familiar to Northern Virginians.Newly-elected Sen. Mark Warner (D) officially took over the reigns of power from his now-retired predecessor Sen. John Warner (R) as did Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11th) in the congressional district seat formerly occupied by six-term Republican Tom Davis.
Warner
At 12:26 p.m., those standing in front of flat-screen televisions stationed at the corners of the Russell Senate Office Building Caucus Room thundered their approval as Mark Warner walked down the aisle toward Vice President Dick Cheney (R), the president of the Senate, for his inauguration into the upper chamber of Congress.
They had high expectations and hopes for Warner.
“I know that Sen. Warner is a man of his word,” said Covington mayor Stephanie Clark.
Clark pointed out that manufacturing in her small Appalachian town has taken a severe hit during the last few years as companies have shut down or moved out.
Even if he does not get many infrastructure improvements for Covington in the upcoming stimulus package, Clark said Warner simply showing up in the area and listening to its people makes a difference.
“When they see the man, they at least know they’re on his mind,” she said of her constituents.
Delegate Dave Marsden (D-41st) wanted Warner to focus on “game changers” regarding transportation.
Marsden included the widening of Interstate 66 inside the Beltway and an expansion of Metro to Manassas as two infrastructure improvements he would like the federal government help fund, along with separating graded intersections on the Fairfax County Parkway to remove traffic lights.
The federal government should “not spread out 40 or 50 nickel-and-dime projects,” Marsden said. “We need something big.”
“What I’m hoping is that we’re not only going to look at more money but how we have a coordinated infrastructure plan so it really connects; it’s multi-modal,” said Warner during a brief interview. “So it is road, rail, transit and what I’m going to be pushing to see is if we can think about how we can restructure our national infrastructure program rather than just put some dollars into (certain) projects.”
No Warner gathering would be complete without at least a handful of Republicans, since the former governor made his name in the General Assembly as a bipartisan dealmaker.
“I endorsed him mainly on character,” said former Fairfax County Republican Del. Vince Callahan, who split with his party and supported Warner’s Senate bid over the GOP nominee, former Gov. Jim Gilmore.
One of Gilmore’s supporters, Prince William County Del. Scott Lingamfelter (R-31st) offered an olive branch of sorts toward Warner on Tuesday when the Democrat entered the banquet hall.
After Lingamfelter lined up to say hello to the new senator, Warner wrapped both his hands around Lingamfelter’s right hand and greeted the conservative stalwart with a large smile and pleasantries.
“I’m a Virginian,” Lingamfelter said about why he showed up. “The people have spoken and we have a new senator.”
Before Warner’s second speech, the new senior senator, Democrat Jim Webb, praised both Warners.
“So, for all of us who believe in the history and the strengths and traditions of the Commonwealth of Virginia, we’ve got a very strong passing of the baton here,” he said.
John Warner said jokingly as he approached the podium, “You see Mark, I should have run again” as the audience, despite being heavily Democratic, gave the departing five-term senator a rousing show of applause that lasted for nearly a minute.
“We can only be a nation independent and strong if there are people like yourselves who have the will and conviction to support those candidates of your choice,” Warner told the crowd. “And you have done exceedingly well in this case in supporting Mark Warner.”
The senior Warner mentioned that Virginia will have one of the most balanced senatorial delegations.
“Jim Webb understands America’s security issues not only as well as I do, but I think in some respects, better than I do” he said, later stating that Warner’s strength is how well he understands the fundamentals of the economy and free market system.
“Let me tell you,” I am anxious and eager to go to work,” said Mark Warner when he stood in front of the microphone again. “It is time.”
The moment was particularly personal for Warner’s father Robert, who came to Washington from Connecticut.
“I could not be more proud of him than I am now,” said the 83-year old, though he added his only regret is Mark’s mother Marge was not alive to see it too.
“He was a guy who also helped make me competitive,” Mark said about his dad, who used to play basketball with him in their family driveway. “You never give up; you’ve got to compete.”
Connolly
While Warner’s speech was held in the biggest Russell office room, Connolly’s reception received so much attention it had to be moved out of his own office and into the House Agricultural Committee Room in the Longworth Building.
Connolly’s big new was that he landed two coveted committee assignments: foreign affairs and the oversight and government reform, which regulates federal contracts.
The 11th Congressional District of Virginia is heavily populated with defense contractors and government employees, both of whom Connolly has vowed to support in Congress.
“Federal workers can’t be a punching bag for some other people’s political gamesmanship,” he said.
Connolly said the Republicans' 1994 Contract with America “denigrated federal service and federal employees” with “the whole philosophy at that time, which was the federal government is the problem, not the solution. And that federal workers are all somehow bureaucrats who don’t care and, you know, just on and on. And I just think that’s wrong.”
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