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Office of the 11th Congressional District of Virginia
Formerly the Office of Representative Gerry Connolly
The Washington, D.C., office and the district office of former Representative Connolly will continue to serve the people of the 11th Congressional District of Virginia under the supervision of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Representative Connolly passed away on May 21, 2025. See Press Release

Connolly Calls on 114th Congress to Find Common Ground For the American Public

Washington, DC, January 7, 2015
Congressman Connolly took to the House Floor today, calling on the 114th Congress to begin this new session on common ground, and allow our commitments to improving the quality of life for our neighbors to guide our actions rather than partisan ideology. Read more

Congressman Connolly took to the House Floor today, calling on the 114th Congress to begin this new session on common ground and put aside partisan ideology. Noting his background in local government, Connolly said he knows firsthand the music that can be made when elected leaders allow their commitments to improving the quality of life for our neighbors guide their actions rather than partisan ideology.

Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Congressman Gerald E. Connolly (VA-11th)



Mr. Speaker,

I welcome you and all of our colleagues back for the start of the 114th Congress. I was encouraged by Speaker Boehner’s remarks yesterday calling for all us to begin this shared endeavor on common ground. I could not agree more.

As someone who comes from local government, I know firsthand the music that can be made when elected leaders allow their commitments to improving the quality of life for our neighbors guide their actions rather than partisan ideology.

My predecessor in this chamber was also a veteran of local government, and although we had our share of partisan differences, we both like to say that we belong to the same party, the party of “getting things done,” a moniker to which this new Congress should aspire.  

Without question there will be a rigorous battle of ideas, and we should expect nothing less in the arena of elected leadership, but at the end of the day, our constituents expect us to resolve those differences, to accomplish something on their behalf, rather than on behalf of our respective parties.

Mr. Speaker, when a final tally is taken of this Congress, I hope we do prove the pessimists wrong and show we were a Congress that got things done.