[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 74 (Monday, May 7, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H4529-H4530]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RENAMING THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Armed 
Services Chairman Ike Skelton for including language in this year's 
Defense authorization bill to change the name of the Department of the 
Navy to be the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps.
  I also thank Ranking Member Duncan Hunter who in the past has also 
included this language in the Defense authorization bill. This will be 
the sixth year that the House will send legislation to the Senate that 
supports this change. I hope that this year the Senate will agree that 
this change is long overdue.
  Since 1947, Congress has twice affirmed that the Marine Corps is a 
separate military service within the Department of the Navy. In 1947, 
the National Security Act stated that we have four separate military 
services:

[[Page H4530]]

the Army, the Air Force, the Navy and the Marine Corps.
  In 1986, the Goldwater-Nichols Act stated that each service's 
commanding officer serves equally as a member of the Joint Chiefs of 
Staff. That is, the Marine Corps and the Navy are coequal partners. The 
Marines do not serve beneath the Navy; they are an equal team.
  Mr. Speaker, that is why I have again introduced legislation, H.R. 
346, to recognize their coequal status by changing the name of the 
Department of the Navy to the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps.
  Not only has this change received the full House Armed Services 
Committee support, but also from former Navy secretaries and Marine 
Corps commandants.
  In a statement of support for this legislation, the Honorable Wade 
Sanders, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Reserve Affairs, 
1993-1998, stated, and I quote, ``As a combat veteran and former Naval 
officer, I understand the importance of the team dynamic, and the 
importance of recognizing the contribution of team components. The Navy 
and Marine Corps team is just that: a dynamic partnership, and is 
important to symbolically recognize the balance of that partnership.''
  In addition, General Charles Krulak, 31st Commandant of the Marine 
Corps stated, and I quote, ``This bill is a perfectly logical evolution 
in a series of legislative initiatives designed, in part, to clarify 
and codify the role of the United States Marine Corps. . . .I 
enthusiastically support both the spirit and intent.''
  General Carl Mundy, the 30th commandant of the Marine Corps stated, 
and I quote, ``I believe the changes you propose will do much to 
clarify the relationship, responsibilities and functions of the 
appointed civilian authority over the United States Naval services . . 
. I believe that any Secretary--present, past or future--will be very 
proud to bear the title `Marine,' as well as `Navy.' ''
  The Honorable John Dalton, the 70th Secretary of the Navy stated, and 
I quote ``One of the things for which I am most proud that I 
accomplished during my tenure was moving the headquarters of the Marine 
Corps into the Pentagon. It was a controversial decision, but I am 
convinced it was the right thing to do. . . . Your legislation would be 
another vital step to give that distinguished service the recognition 
it so greatly deserves.''
  Before I close, I want to point out to the House that I have beside 
me the Order of the Silver Star for Marines killed in Iraq. Marine 
Michael Bitz' family received a Silver Star in his memory. Yet when you 
look at this poster you will see an exact copy of the article for the 
Secretary of the Navy, Washington D.C., and the Navy flag.
  All this legislation will do, all this legislation will do, is to 
make the Navy and the Marine Corps an equal partner. You can see if 
these orders were issued and this bill had become law, it would say the 
Secretary of the Navy and the Marine Corps with the Navy flag and the 
Marine flag for this brave marine who gave his life for this country.
  I hope this year that the House under the leadership of Ike Skelton 
will demand that the Senate agree to the House position and change the 
name to be the Department of Navy and Marine Corps.

                          ____________________