[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15491]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   WELCOMING THE HONORABLE DAVE BRAT TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

  The SPEAKER. Without objection, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. 
Goodlatte) is recognized for 1 minute.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome the newest Member 
of the House of Representatives from Virginia, Dr. Dave Brat of Glen 
Allen, Virginia, to this Chamber.
  Dave is joining this body as a new Member representing the Seventh 
District of Virginia. Over the past year, he has talked with his 
friends and neighbors about the challenges facing our Nation and what 
Congress can do to help grow our economy and help the private sector 
create jobs.
  Dave is uniquely positioned to work on issues related to American 
jobs and the economy. With an undergraduate degree in business 
administration and a Ph.D. in economics, his background in economic 
policy will help this body deal with the most pressing issues of the 
day.
  For the past 18 years, Dave has been a faculty member at Randolph-
Macon College where he served as the chair of the department of 
economics. Dave is also a strong family man and, with his wife, Laura, 
has two children.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to welcome Dave to the United States 
House of Representatives. Joining us today are our fellow Members of 
the Virginia delegation who welcome you and look forward to working 
with you.
  I now yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) for his 
welcoming remarks.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome 
Congressman Dave Brat to the people's House and to the Virginia 
delegation. Our congressional delegation has a long history of working 
together. Our former longtime dean, Senator John Warner, set the 
standard for working together in a constructive manner.
  While we may not always agree on every issue, we will always try to 
work together for what is best for Virginia and our Nation. It is the 
Virginia way.
  Dave will be replacing Majority Leader Eric Cantor, and at the end of 
this Congress, our delegation will also lose two of its more senior 
Members, Frank Wolf and Jim Moran.
  With their departure, our delegation's clout may wane a bit, but I 
know it will be reinvigorated by new Members like Congressman Brat, 
committed to working together for our Commonwealth.
  Mr. Speaker, Dave comes to Congress after a career as an economics 
professor at Randolph-Macon College. He has been appointed to State 
boards and commissions by several Virginia Governors, including the 
Joint Advisory Board of Economists. I know he will put these 
experiences to good use.
  I welcome Dave and his family to Congress, and I look forward to 
working with him on issues critical to the Richmond region and the 
entire Commonwealth of Virginia.

                              {time}  1915

  Mr. BRAT. Mr. Speaker, thank you to my new colleagues and thank you 
to the people of Virginia's Seventh District who have entrusted me with 
the honor of serving as their Representative, and many of them are with 
us tonight in the gallery. Thank you for coming.
  We are proud that the Seventh District is the home of the father of 
the Constitution, James Madison, and the voice of the Revolution, 
Patrick Henry.
  It has been a long road, and very few gave me a chance when the 
journey began. I want to thank my wife, Laura, and my children, 
Jonathan and Sophia, for believing in me. And I want to thank God, as 
this would not have been possible without His assistance along the way.
  Throughout my campaign, as President Reagan said, I tried to appeal 
to people's best hopes and not their worst fears. I strived to elevate 
the dialogue and focus us on solutions, especially on the economic 
issues facing our country.
  That is how I will approach the weighty responsibility with which I 
have been entrusted.
  Thank you all, God bless you all, and may God continue to bless this 
great Nation.

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