Bill Text: VA HJR285 | 2014 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending the Honorable Frank R. Wolf.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 63-29)
Status: (Passed) 2014-02-27 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ285ER) [HJR285 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2014-HJR285-Enrolled.html
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WHEREAS, the Honorable Frank R. Wolf, known as the "Conscience of the Congress," will retire from public office in 2014; and WHEREAS, Frank R. Wolf was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1980 and has represented the 10th Congressional District for 17 consecutive terms; and WHEREAS, Congressman Wolf helped Northern Virginia grow into the economic engine of the Commonwealth and one of the premier technology corridors on the East Coast; and WHEREAS, in an effort to build a strong future for the nation, Congressman Wolf championed job creation and growth in the United States and prioritized science, math, engineering, and language education programs, and helped create the Rising Above the Gathering Storm Commission, whose landmark 2007 report galvanized the nation's interest in American competitiveness; and WHEREAS, serving as chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the Justice Department, Congressman Wolf worked to transform the FBI after 9/11 so it could address the threat from al Qaeda and domestic radicalization; and WHEREAS, recognizing the growing cyber threat from both criminal and foreign state actors to United States government agencies and the private sector, Congressman Wolf used his chairmanship to increase resources and prioritize cybersecurity and prevent cyber espionage; and WHEREAS, during the darkest days of the Iraq War, Congressman Wolf authored legislation creating the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, also known as the Baker-Hamilton Commission, which played a key role leading up to the "surge" to improve the situation on the ground; and WHEREAS, Congressman Wolf led the effort to transfer control of Dulles and then National Airports from the federal government to a local authority, now called the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which has led to Dulles International Airport becoming a gateway to the world and Reagan National Airport becoming one of the premier airports in the country; and WHEREAS, Congressman Wolf helped address transportation improvements in the region, from congestion relief on Interstate 66, to extending Metrorail to Dulles International Airport and Loudoun County, to safety improvements on the George Washington Parkway; and WHEREAS, Congressman Wolf has been a stalwart defender of the American family and has fought against the scourges of pornography and the dramatic growth of gambling in neighborhoods across the country, given the devastating links to societal and family breakdown; and WHEREAS, Congressman Wolf has been a leader in fighting violent gangs that threatened the community and spoken out about the insidious criminal enterprise of trafficking women and children, a form of modern day slavery; and WHEREAS, Congressman Wolf has raised awareness about the debilitating effects of Lyme Disease and has worked to help alleviate hunger in our communities, working with local food banks, businesses, and schools to feed the hungry; and WHEREAS, Congressman Wolf worked to improve moral, productive, and family values by encouraging leave sharing, flexi-time, and flexi-place programs in the federal workforce, as well as pushing federal agencies to come into the twenty-first century and adopt robust telework policies to reduce traffic congestion, save energy, improve air quality, and provide cost savings to taxpayers; and WHEREAS, Congressman Wolf authored legislation to protect Manassas National Battlefield Park when it was threatened by development; and WHEREAS, when Civil War and other historic sites in the Shenandoah Valley were threatened, Congressman Wolf worked with community leaders, historic preservationists, and others to protect and preserve these historically significant sites, creating what is now the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District; and WHEREAS, Congressman Wolf helped establish the innovative Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park in 2002; as a model for how future parks can integrate with and benefit the existing community, the park allows private landowners and organizations to live, work, and operate inside its borders; and WHEREAS, Congressman Wolf led efforts to create the Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area; the area ties together the rich cultural and historical sites along U.S. Route 15, from Thomas Jefferson's Monticello in Charlottesville, north through the Counties of Fauquier, Prince William, and Loudoun, to Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania; and WHEREAS, when cutbacks nearly forced the closure of Turkey Run Park in McLean, Congressman Wolf worked to establish the Claude Moore Colonial Farm at Turkey Run, the only privately run park in the National Park Service system; and WHEREAS, Congressman Wolf has long supported Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, the only national park dedicated to the performing arts; and WHEREAS, Congressman Wolf authored the landmark International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, which institutionalized the promotion of America's first freedom, religious freedom, as an American foreign policy priority and created the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom and the International Religious Freedom Office at the State Department headed by an ambassador-at-large; and WHEREAS, under the auspices of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, Congressman Wolf launched a bipartisan initiative aimed at encouraging members of Congress to adopt prisoners of conscience worldwide and commit to advocating on their behalf in hopes of ensuring better treatment in prison and ultimately securing their release from unjust detention and abuse by repressive regimes and governments; and WHEREAS, Congressman Wolf provided a voice to those in need throughout the world; he led the first United States Congressional Delegation to Darfur in 2004 and visited many other hot spots, such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Romania, Sierra Leone, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Ethiopia, and Tibet; and WHEREAS, Congressman Wolf worked with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to build consensus for the betterment of the nation; he respected and ably represented many diverse constituencies in his district and built strong partnerships with leaders throughout the 10th Congressional District; and WHEREAS, after retirement from public office, Frank Wolf plans to fully devote himself to advocacy for human rights, offering his wise leadership to the noble cause of those seeking justice, equality, and religious tolerance; and WHEREAS, a man of great character and integrity, Frank Wolf served Northern Virginia and the Northern Shenandoah Valley, the Commonwealth, and the nation with distinction; he leaves a legacy of excellence as an example for other public officials; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Honorable Frank R. Wolf, a true statesman, on the occasion of his retirement from public office; and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Honorable Frank R. Wolf as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for his leadership, wisdom, and dedicated service to the Commonwealth and the nation. |
