[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 98 (Wednesday, June 12, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E759-E760]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NORTHERN VIRGINIA REGIONAL 
                               COMMISSION

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 12, 2019

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the Northern 
Virginia Regional Commission on its 50th anniversary. This momentous 
occasion carries great significance for me, as I served as Chairman of 
the NVRC during my time as Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of 
Supervisors.
  Serving on a regional board or commission is a unique responsibility 
and can place a politician in an unusual position: advocating for and 
working for someone else's constituents. More often than not, you have 
to travel outside of the district or community that you represent and 
you have to make decisions that balance the interests of the region, 
not just your constituents. It can often be a thankless task, but it is 
so important to the continued long-term health and viability of our 
community as a whole. That's why it is so critical that we continue to 
plan at the regional level and beyond. Indeed, in Northern Virginia, 
part of the reason why we enjoy such a high quality of life is because 
we have placed such a high emphasis on coordination and planning at the 
regional level. That emphasis goes back decades, as evidenced by this 
anniversary.
  While there are many different ways that regional planning has 
benefitted Northern Virginia, two areas in particular come to mind. The 
first is the environment, where NVRC has been an invaluable partner on 
a hosts of projects including expanding solar power through Solarize 
NoVa, protecting and maintaining local water resources through the 
Occoquan Basin Nonpoint Pollution Management Program, and cleaning up 
and preserving the Chesapeake Bay for future generations.

[[Page E760]]

  The Cool Counties Initiative to help address climate change at the 
local level and the development of a regional energy strategy were 
other important elements in that ongoing struggle. All of these 
initiatives have improved our quality of life and ensured that future 
generations can continue to have that same quality of life that we 
currently enjoy.
  Another area we have seen a tremendous return on investment is in 
demographic research. NVRC was among the first regional bodies to 
seriously study the coming demographic changes to our region. When I 
first moved to Fairfax County, the population was 3 percent foreign-
born. Today that number is over 30 percent. This diversity has become 
one of Fairfax County and Northern Virginia's greatest strengths. 
However, such a rapid demographic change in a relatively short time 
period could have led to serious disruptions if the region's 
infrastructure was not prepared to accommodate it. Thanks to cutting-
edge research by NVRC, we were able to foresee these changes and plan 
to accommodate them as they occurred.
  Madam Speaker, bodies like NVRC are a testament to good government 
and all of the benefits that good government can bring. I commend my 
colleagues on NVRC and all the other regional boards and commissions in 
the National Capital Region for the work they do every day on behalf of 
the greater good. I ask my colleagues in this body to join me in 
congratulating NVRC on its 50th anniversary and in thanking them for 
their continued service to all our communities.

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