U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) delivered the following speech on the House floor on Dec. 10, 2014, honoring retiring U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10): Congressman Frank Wolf of Virginia will cast his last vote this week, capping off a remarkable 34-year career of altruistic deeds, selfless service, bold humanitarian initiatives, and durable achievement.
Both of us got elected in 1980, the Ronald Reagan class. Many of us wanted to have a Special Order tomorrow night, including the gentleman from Virginia, Bob Goodlatte, to honor him. But he said, “Absolutely not.” That is the kind of guy he is. He never seeks any attention. But I am here today. Tough. I am going to speak about him.
At home and overseas, Frank Wolf, the William Wilberforce of the United States House of Representatives, has been an indefatigable defender of human rights and human dignity. Last week, WORLD magazine named Frank Wolf the 2014 Daniel of the Year.
Whether it be helping a young mother in a refugee camp in Sudan or political prisoners in Russia or jailed pastors in China or any number of the marginalized and persecuted, Frank Wolf has always sought to rescue and to protect.
Frank Wolf is the author of the landmark International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, which established both an independent commission and a State Department office led by an ambassador at large wholly dedicated to safeguarding—via sanctions, if necessary—religious freedom.
I saw firsthand his devotion to human rights in a myriad of ways, including trips with Frank to a prison camp in the Soviet Union, the infamous Perm camp 35; a gulag in China, Beijing prison number 2, right after Tiananmen Square; Vukovar, a city under military siege during the war in Yugoslavia; and Romania on behalf of persecuted believers, just to name a few. He has chaired the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission with great distinction.
A man of deep Christian faith, Frank Wolf not only passionately believes in Jesus Christ but “walks” as St. Paul admonishes us, in a way worthy of his calling. Frank Wolf is a devoted family man. He, along with his wife, Carolyn, have five adult children and 16 grandchildren, all of whom are the apples of his eye.
In his district, Frank Wolf has delivered as well. His casework is superb and responsive; his staff reflects their boss’ commitment to assist and to solve problems big and small.
As chairman of several Appropriations subcommittees over the years—including his latest assignment as chair of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science—he has authored nine major appropriations laws, including five transportation statutes that funded major projects in his district and throughout the Nation.
Frank Wolf’s many other accomplishments include: His bipartisan Bring Jobs Back to America Act, designed to return manufacturing jobs to the U.S. from countries like China; raising awareness of the growing threat from cyber attacks; efforts to address America’s unconscionable debt—it is $18 trillion now—through bipartisan reforms; the formation of two anti-gang task forces operating in the region, as well as the creation of the National Gang Intelligence Center in the FBI; and the funding of the 103-mile Metrorail system.
He led the way in obtaining about $1 billion to extend Metrorail through Tysons and out to Dulles Airport and to Loudon County. He pushed for lower carpool restrictions on I-66 and has helped many commuters get to the Capitol and to Washington. He led efforts to place Ronald Reagan Washington National and Washington Dulles International airports under a regional authority, providing the capital to build a new terminal at Reagan National and vastly expand Dulles.
He has been a leader in fighting with great tenacity Lyme disease. He has fought to address hunger by creating the Feds Feed Families food drive, which has generated more than 15 million pounds of donated food. And in 2014, he put language into an omnibus bill to create the National Commission on Hunger.
And one of the Nation’s newest national parks is in his 10th District, the Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historic Park, established in 2002 through yet another one of Frank’s laws.
Finally, let me make it clear: Frank Wolf’s departure from the House is only the end of his current place of service to humanity and marks a new beginning, a transition to the private sector, where he will continue and even expand upon his extraordinary life’s work.