[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 189 (Tuesday, December 11, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H15250-H15252]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 COMMEMORATING THE CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OF THE SAILING OF THE NAVY'S 
                         ``GREAT WHITE FLEET''

  Mrs. BOYDA of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 261) commemorating the 
centennial anniversary of the sailing of the Navy's ``Great White 
Fleet,'' launched by President Theodore Roosevelt on December 16, 1907, 
from Hampton Roads, Virginia, and returning there on February 22, 1909.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 261

       Whereas the launching of the Great White Fleet marked the 
     emergence of the United States as a true global seapower, 
     able to dispatch 16 new battleships on a worldwide deployment 
     for 14 months;
       Whereas these battleships were painted entirely white, with 
     gilded scrollwork on their bows, and subsequently came to be 
     known as the ``Great White Fleet'';
       Whereas the 4 squadrons of 4 battleships each, manned by 
     14,000 sailors, sailed 43,000 miles and made 20 port calls on 
     6 continents;
       Whereas the Fleet, in conducting visits to important 
     nations such as Australia, served to reinforce a friendship 
     and partnership that continues to this day;
       Whereas the Fleet, in providing a tangible demonstration of 
     the forward naval presence of the United States in the 
     Pacific, also reinforced the message of how important 
     maritime stability and security are to the United States;
       Whereas the Fleet, in response to one of the worst natural 
     disasters in European history, was able to immediately divert 
     to Messina, Sicily, to offer humanitarian aid to the Italian 
     people; and
       Whereas the Fleet, in executing a range of missions and 
     returning to the United States after 14 months at sea, 
     displayed to the world a number of core American values, 
     including compassion, showed its flexibility by responding to 
     unforeseen events, and demonstrated the ability of the United 
     States to project maritime power as a stabilizing force: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That the Congress--
       (1) commemorates the wisdom of President Theodore Roosevelt 
     in developing and launching the Great White Fleet;
       (2) supports a one-time designation of a day to celebrate 
     the 100th centennial of the Great White Fleet and the special 
     role the Fleet played in building enduring friendships with 
     important allies and partner nations;
       (3) commends efforts by the Department of the Navy to 
     maintain and strengthen our cooperative partnerships with 
     foreign nations and to safeguard our Nation's interests in 
     the maritime domain;
       (4) commends efforts by the Department of the Navy in 
     leading the development of a Cooperative Strategy for 21st 
     Century Seapower; and
       (5) honors the sacrifices made and services rendered by the 
     servicemembers of the Navy,

[[Page H15251]]

     Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard and the civilians who 
     constitute our maritime services.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Kansas (Mrs. Boyda) and the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Drake) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Kansas.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. BOYDA of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks on the concurrent resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Kansas?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. BOYDA of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
might consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support House Concurrent Resolution 261, 
commemorating the centennial anniversary of the sailing of the Navy's 
Great White Fleet launched by President Theodore Roosevelt on December 
16, 1907 from Hampton Roads, Virginia, and returning there on February 
22, 1909.
  I would like to thank my colleague from Virginia, Mrs. Thelma Drake, 
my friend and colleague on the House Armed Services Committee, for 
bringing this measure before the House. It was the Atlantic Fleet, 
later to be known as the Great White Fleet for its pristine decor that 
launched the United States into the realm of the maritime overnight. 
Over 14,000 sailors made an extraordinary voyage around the world, from 
Virginia in the Atlantic Ocean, around South America's Cape Horn to San 
Francisco. From there, the crews sailed the Pacific Ocean, the Indian 
Ocean, through the Mediterranean Sea, and back to the United States, 
stopping in such great nations as Australia and Italy to forge and 
secure the diplomatic friendships that continue to this day.
  In 14 months, the Great White Fleet demonstrated to the entire world 
that the United States is committed to both military maritime presence 
as well as international humanitarian aid. This coming Sunday, December 
16, marks the 100th year since the beginning of that voyage. In the 
past 100 years, we have maintained these commitments and continued 
deployments of the naval ships, including the hospital ships Mercy and 
Comfort, to provide aid and assistance to those in time of need. This 
centennial is an appropriate time to celebrate and renew our continued 
commitment to responsible international stewardship.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Concurrent 
Resolution 261.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume.
  I rise in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 261, a 
resolution I introduced to commemorate the centennial anniversary of 
the launching of the Great White Fleet. On December 16, 1907, 16 
battleships, including, of course, the USS Virginia, launched from 
Norfolk for a 14-month-long cruise around the world. Envisioned by 
President Theodore Roosevelt, himself a former Assistant Secretary of 
the Navy, as an opportunity to showcase the military and humanitarian 
might of the United States, the fleet sailed over 42,000 miles around 
the globe, traveling around the tip of South America, across the 
Pacific and Indian Oceans, through the Suez and Mediterranean and back 
across the Atlantic to Norfolk.
  Upon arriving in Egypt, the fleet's commanding officer, Rear Admiral 
Charles Sperry, dispatched two of his battleships to assist in 
providing humanitarian assistance to the victims of an earthquake that 
had ravaged Sicily. The cruise, which has earned its place in American 
naval history as one the single greatest achievements of the 20th 
century, foreshadowed events in 2004 when the U.S. Navy provided 
assistance and comfort to the victims of the tsunami in Indonesia and 
neighboring countries and again in 2005 when assistance was provided to 
the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
  The event also foreshadowed the debate in Washington regarding the 
size of the U.S. fleet and the needed industrial capacity. Painted 
white and visible for miles, the fleet caused President Roosevelt to 
ask rhetorically, ``Oughtn't we all feel proud?'' I can surely 
sympathize. As the Representative of Virginia's Second Congressional 
District, I fully understand the proud sensation of driving across the 
Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel and seeing the raw naval power that is home 
ported in Norfolk.
  That moment of pride transcends into a moment of pause when witnessed 
by our enemies and a moment of comfort when witnessed by our friends. 
President Roosevelt understood the concept of force projection before 
the term was fashionable.
  Our great tradition of naval power was not founded by President 
Roosevelt, but he understood it and harnessed it foreshadowing the 
great challenges of the 21st century and today.
  I would note, Mr. Speaker, that the idea of sending our fleet halfway 
around the world was not an idea widely accepted by Congress, and yet 
President Roosevelt through his leadership and determination and in his 
role as Commander in Chief set out to do what he thought was right, 
sending a message long before it can be done over a computer that the 
United States was now an ``A List'' celebrity on the world stage. And 
it worked. Upon its return, the headline of The Washington Post dated 
February 21, 1909, read: ``Eyes of World Opened By Fleet.''
  Mr. Speaker, ask most students of history about the achievements of 
President Theodore Roosevelt, and I imagine that they will start with 
the Panama Canal. I introduced this resolution in part because I feel 
that President Roosevelt's historic vision of a strong blue-water Navy 
as the cornerstone of American foreign policy should never be 
forgotten.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. BOYDA of Kansas. I would just like to close by saying that as 
the proud daughter of a naval veteran from World War II, I again thank 
my colleague from Virginia for bringing forth this resolution and I 
urge my colleagues to support House Concurrent Resolution 261.
  I am prepared to close if my colleague is.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House 
Concurrent Resolution 261, introduced by my friend and colleague from 
Virginia's Second Congressional District, Congresswoman Thelma Drake, 
to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the sailing of the Navy's 
``Great White Fleet'' from Hampton Roads, Virginia.
  On December 16, 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt dispatched sixteen 
new battleships at the 1907 Jamestown Exposition on a global deployment 
to show the world that the United States had emerged as a global naval 
power. These sixteen ships were painted white, with gilded scrollwork 
on their bows, and became known as the ``Great White Fleet.''
  Made up of four squadrons of four battleships each and manned by 
14,000 sailors, the ships sailed 43,000 miles and made 20 port calls on 
six continents in 14 months. The fleet helped shore up American 
diplomatic efforts and friendships around the world, proving the 
success of pragmatic diplomatic policy. The fleet was greeted 
enthusiastically in nearly every port, where people in the thousands 
turned out to see America's new fleet. The fleet also responded to one 
of the worst earthquakes in European history by diverting to Sicily to 
offer humanitarian aid to the people of Italy.
  On February 22, 1909, President Roosevelt returned to Hampton Roads, 
Virginia to witness the triumphant return of the ``Great White Fleet.'' 
President Roosevelt saw the fleet's successful global voyage as one of 
his administration's major accomplishments by enhancing the role of the 
United States in international affairs. Few can deny the historical 
importance of President Roosevelt's decision to deploy the ``Great 
White Fleet'' around the world.
  Seven of the 16 great battleships that constituted the ``Great White 
Fleet'' were built in my hometown of Newport News, Virginia at Newport 
News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, today known as Northrop Grumman 
Newport News. Although the ``Great White Fleet'' demonstrated that 
America was an emerging seapower, the success of the ``Great White 
Fleet'' made Newport News and the Hampton Roads area a powerhouse for 
shipbuilding. One hundred years later, Northrop Grumman Newport News is 
still leading the way in the shipbuilding industry by building some of 
the most powerful and advanced ships for the United States Navy. 
Northrop Grumman Newport News has already begun work on the U.S.S. 
Gerald Ford, the newest

[[Page H15252]]

and most advanced generation of air craft carrier, to lead the U.S. 
Navy into the 21st century.
  Mr. Speaker, the voyage of the ``Great White Fleet'' has proven to be 
a pivotal event in the history of this great Nation. While impacting 
the entire United States, the impression of the ``Great White Fleet'' 
can be most felt in Hampton Roads, Virginia. In addition to being home 
to one of the Nation's most important shipbuilding facilities at 
Newport News, the world's largest naval base is located just across the 
Hampton Roads in Norfolk, Virginia. The citizens of Hampton Roads 
should feel very proud about the role of our region in one of the most 
important nautical voyages in American history. I urge my colleagues to 
support this important concurrent resolution.
  Mrs. DRAKE. I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. BOYDA of Kansas. I yield back my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Kansas (Mrs. Boyda) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 261.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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