Message from the Chair

JANUARY 2011 MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR I want to thank the Virginia members of Congress who voted for the Affordable Care Act that President Obama signed into law on March 23, 2010. Already my family is seeing terrific benefits. As retired federal employees, Nancy and I have long been eligible for Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB). We earned that benefit for ourselves from a combined 65 years of federal civil service. Each annual open season, we have been able to select from an assortment of health insurance plans to choose what best suits our family’s needs with a premium, deductibles, and copayments that fit our budget. A little over a year ago, our daughter turned 22 and was no longer eligible for inclusion on our policy even though we continued to pay the same premium for self and family enrollment. To make up for her exclusion while she continued her college studies, we purchased a private, individual policy for her which cost us about the same amount that we also paid for our FEHB policy. Our costs had doubled overnight for essentially the same health insurance coverage. Fortunately, our daughter finished college and was one of the graduates who this year landed a job that included a health benefit for which she and her employer shared the cost. Still this expense was quite a bite from her modest starting salary combined with the high living costs in a major metropolitan city. Under the Affordable Care Act, our daughter may return under our FEHB policy starting January 1, 2011. Under the new law, children: • Do not have to live with the enrolled parent, be financially dependent on the enrolled parent, or be students to remain covered until age 26. • Are covered under the enrolled parent’s self and family enrollment even if they are eligible for and have their own employer-provided health insurance coverage. • Are not required to have any form of continuous health insurance, such as Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC), leading up to the effective date of their eligibility. I learned about these added benefits, which may differ from plans outside FEHB, at Congressman Gerry Connolly’s Open Season Workshop for Federal Employees and Retirees on December 4. These benefits are just the beginning of added benefits for my family. My mother’s health care costs consume at least 25 percent of her Social Security and pension benefits. She almost always falls into the Medicare drug benefit doughnut hole where she must pay full price for expensive medications. Next year, she will begin getting relief from that. Other family members do not have employer-provided health insurance coverage. By 2014, they will be able to purchase affordable policies through state run exchanges, much like members of Congress and Nancy and I can today under FEHB. While not perfect, these health insurance reforms were sorely needed. To those who have vowed repeal, I have one message. Don’t mess with my family’s health care benefits! Rex Simmons Contents EVENTS FCDC General Meeting 3 Camelot Revisited - Blue Jeans Ball 3 SPECIAL REPORTS FCDC Holiday Party 4 Road to Richmond 4 CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT REPORTS 8th Congressional District Report 5 11 Congressional District Report 5 STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS National Affairs Standing Committee 6 DISTRICT COMMITTEE REPORTS Dranesville Report 7 Hunter Mill Report 8 Mason Report 8 Sully Report 9 SUSTAINERS Honor Roll 10 Renewal Form 11 PASSINGS Remembering Sydney Savage 12 ABOUT THE DEMOCRAT The Democrat is a monthly email publication of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee. The purpose of The Democrat is to provide information to Committee members and other interested persons through district and committee reports, campaign reports, articles, and fliers. Views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the FCDC unless specifically approved by an appropriate committee resolution. How to submit material Generally material submitted to The Democrat should be limited to 300 words unless exceptions are made by the Editor or FCDC Chair. Please email material to Rachel Rifkind, [email protected]. Attach text file or photos, or copy the material into the email message. Deadline for submission is the third Monday of each month by 5:00 pm for inclusion in the following month’s issue. One-page fliers advertising Democratic fundraisers and events will be included with The Democrat if submitted by the deadline. Limited numbers of The Democrat are mailed, primarily to those who do not have access to email. FCDC charges $35 for each flier from non-FCDC organizations. Contact Rachel Rifkind, [email protected] with any questions about how to submit material or fliers. 2 EVENTS FCDC General Meeting FCDC’s next committee meeting will take place Tuesday, January 25th, 7:30pm at George Marshall High School, 7731 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA Camelot Revisited – Blue Jeans Ball We had such a great time in ‘09, we decided to do it again! Music, dancing, food and drinks. Dress code? Whatever makes you happy! January 22, 2011 7pm - midnight Individual Tickets $75 (includes two drink tickets) To purchase tickets online, please visit fairfaxdemocrats.org/camelot Please contact us for information about Sponsoring the event. Northern Virginia Community College Richard J. Ernst Community Cultural Center 8333 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA 3 SPECIAL REPORTS FCDC Holiday Party The FCDC Finance Committee sponsored a Holiday Party on a crisp December 19 afternoon. Over 100 Democrats were welcomed to the home of Edward and Nancy Rice in Vienna. The Rice family, including their home form college daughter Rachel, high school son Danny, and top dog Sam, had the house beautifully decorated for the season. Our Treasurer, Nadja Golding and FCDC Executive Director Antonia Scatton took charge of the food, and delivered a table full of delectable and beautifully presented hors d'oeuvres in the main dining room. Sully District Finance Committee member Alan Krishnan presided over the wine, Vice Chair, North, Barbara Caputo, Braddock member Bruce Nielson and Providence member Susan Weltz contributed to the deserts, and Finance Chair Mary Ann Hovis provided punch and egg nog. Many of our Democratic dignitaries attended: 11th District Congressman Gerry Connolly, new DPVA Chair Brian Moran, former DNC Chair Terry McAulliffe, Board of Supervisors members Cathy Hudgins of Hunter Mill and Linda Smyth, Providence. Hunter Mill School Board member Stu Gibon, and 10th District Congressional Candidate Jeff Barnett. Assistant Treasurer Victor Mondino handled the incoming guests at the front table, and again as they departed with their purchases of FCDC Mugs (great gift!) and festive wrapped grab bag items. Also by the front door, bags and bags of canned and dry goods were contributed for the Fairfax County Mental Health Services. FCDC member Sue Boucher hauled off a car load of the needed goods destined for the distribution of food baskets. It was an afternoon celebration of fun, fellowship,and fundraising! Road to Richmond Our annual Road to Richmond Breakfast was a great success again this year. Here are a few pictures from the event. For more pictures, visit fairfaxdemocrats.org/road2richmond2011 4 CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT REPORTS 8th Congressional District Report Pixie Bell, 8th CD First Vice Chair The next meeting of the 8th Congressional District Democratic Committee will be January 17, 2011, 8:00PM at the Falls Church Community Center, 223 Little Falls Road, Falls Church City. The December 20, 2010 meeting was cancelled. The December 4, 2010 meeting of the State Central Committee was the most exciting of the year, as the contested election of a new Chairman ensued. Although the room was a sea of Brian! stickers, Peter Rousselot always had a smile, a hand shake and a kind word for everyone. He was the epitome of a gentleman – vintage Senator Clive DuVal. When Brian Moran was announced the winner, he reached out to shake hands with Peter, and as they both held clasped hands, then raised them high – the room erupted in a standing ovation! The State Central Committee voted to allow three caucuses to have a member on the Steering Committee: VMFC selected Terron Syms; the LGBT Committee selected Charley Conrad; and the Latino Caucus selected Andy Rivera. The 8th Congressional District Democratic Committee donated a total of $7,500 to Congressman Jim Moran after the very successful Kennedy King dinner, which 240 people attended. Jim Moran has long opposed offshore drilling. He had included a congressional moratorium in the Interior & Environmental Appropriations bill that was approved by the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, which Jim chaired, on 7/22/10. Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar’s, release of a revised federal oil & gas leasing plan for the OCS meant no drilling will occur off the Virginia coast through 2017. Jim also noted that the Bush tax cuts did not improve employment and work force participation. Work force participation fell in 2001 and has never returned to the record level set in 2000 before the tax cuts took effect. There were 132 million Americans employed when the first round of Bush tax cuts passed in June, 2001, but there were 130.5 million employed at the end of last month, a decrease of 1.5 million workers. 11th Congressional District Report George Burke, 11th CD Chair, [email protected], 202-288-2104 The congressional elections are over, the holiday season has drawn to a close, and now we must focus on the 2011 General Assembly races. Here in the 11th CD, Congressman Gerry Connolly won reelection to a second term, although we were saddened to see his two freshman colleagues, Tom Perriello and Glenn Nye, along with 14-term incumbent Rick Boucher, defeated in Virginia. With the powerful wave in November that took out many sitting Democratic congressmen, including some senior committee chairmen, Gerry's victory was a sign of his strength as a political leader and as a candidate.

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