Inside Nova.com - Connolly Shepherds Bills Through Congress

News Article

By Keith Walker

President Barack Obama recently signed four bills sponsored by Rep Gerald E. "Gerry" Connolly, D-11th, and made them law.

One of the bills will require that the Department of Defense improves roads around installations where Base Realignment and Closure brought in more people and traffic.

Connolly, along with Reps. Jim Moran, D-8th, and Rob Wittman, R-1st, saw a need to change the regulations governing when the department was required to improve roads so that they can better handle increased traffic.

The bill made changes on how department money can be spent on road improvements.

Before the bill passed, department rules required that traffic had to double on off-base roads before any department money could be spent on improvements. That mandate was eliminated, according to Connolly's office.

Department regulations dating back to 1976 limited how military officials could use so-called Defense Access Roads, or DAR, money for off-base road improvements. Connolly said the new bill changes that.

"Working with Congressmen Wittman and Moran, we were able to win passage of this legislation to allow DoD to use DAR funds off-base for road improvements without meeting an onerous provision that required traffic near the base to double before money could be spent off base." Connolly said.

Additionally, consider how any future BRAC moves would affect traffic.

"In the future, DoD will be required to take traffic mitigation efforts into account when any BRAC projects are in the planning stages," Connolly said.

Interns

Another bill will standardize internships across the federal government and give interns a better chance at understanding the agencies where they work.

If interns are better educated during their internships, more might begin careers with the federal government to replace an older work force that is set retire soon, Connolly said.

"This bill would put structure in place across the federal government, make internships a better educational experience for participants and, most importantly, give federal agencies a good opportunity to identify top-notch candidates for federal jobs to replace the brain drain that will result as more baby boomers ... retire from the federal government over the next decade," Connolly said in a news release.

A third bill aims to reduce the number of battlefield deaths by reducing fuel costs. The legislation will require that the military use more fuel efficient tents on the front lines. Fuel effficient tents reduce the need for as many fuel convoys to travel through dangerous areas and risk attack from improvised explosive devises, or IEDs, Connolly said.

"Many of our service members are killed and injured by IEDs targeting fuel convoys on roads in the war zones," Connolly said. "This legislation will help to reduce their exposure to IEDs."

The fourth bill will beef up training for people working in federal acquisitions overseeing federal contracts.

"If we are concerned about saving taxpayer money, looking for efficiencies and avoiding waste, fraud and abuse, it starts with professional training," Connolly said.

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