[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 10, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H3127-H3128]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




ONE TEAM--ONE FIGHT--ONE NAME: REDESIGNATING THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY 
             AS THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS

  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. Madam Speaker, earlier this year I introduced H.R. 24, 
legislation to redesignate the Department of the Navy as the Department 
of the Navy and Marine Corps.
  For the past 7 years, the language of this bill has been part of the 
House version of the National Defense Authorization Act. Last year, 152 
Members of the House cosponsored the bill to support this change. This 
session, the bill has gained 58 cosponsors so far. I hope many of the 
new Members of the House will consider supporting H.R. 24.
  This year, I am grateful to have the support of Senator Pat Roberts, 
a former Marine, who recently introduced a companion bill in the 
Senate, S. 504. I hope that the Senate will support the House position 
and maybe this will be the year that Congress sends legislation to the 
President to bring proper respect to the fighting team of the Navy and 
Marine Corps.
  Changing the name of the Department of the Navy to the Department of 
the Navy and Marine Corps is a symbolic gesture, but is important to 
the team. I would like to read a statement

[[Page H3128]]

by one supporter of this change, the Honorable Wade Sanders, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Reserve Affairs from 1993-1998:
  ``As a combat veteran and a former Naval officer, I understand the 
importance of the team dynamic, and the importance of recognizing the 
contributions of team components. The Navy and Marine Corps team is 
just that: a dynamic partnership, and it is important to symbolically 
recognize the balance of that partnership.''
  Madam Speaker, the Marines who are fighting today deserve this 
recognition. Before I close, I would like to point out there are many, 
many justifications for renaming the department Navy and Marine Corps. 
We all know that the Navy and Marine Corps are one fighting team, and 
that is the history of both the Navy and the Marine Corps.
  Madam Speaker, on this poster is a condolence letter from the 
Department of the Navy. This was sent to the wife of a Marine who was 
killed in Iraq for this country.
  Madam Speaker, on the letter sent by the Secretary of the Navy, it 
says ``The Secretary of the Navy.'' Then the first sentence, it says, 
``On behalf of the Department of the Navy, please accept our very 
sincere condolences.''
  Well, Madam Speaker, that is very kind of the Secretary of the Navy, 
and I am sure that the Marine family that gave a loved one who died for 
this country during warfare appreciates that letter, but I respectfully 
say that even more important to the Marine family who lost a loved one 
would be that if the letter had said, ``The Secretary of the Navy and 
Marine Corps,'' with the flag of the Navy and the flag of the Marine 
Corps, and then it further stated, ``Dear Marine Corps Family: On 
behalf of the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps, please accept my 
sincere condolences.''
  Madam Speaker, before I close, I have Camp Lejeune Marine Base and 
Cherry Point Air Station in my district, and also Seymour Johnson Air 
Force Base. Other parts of the Armed Forces have the Secretary of the 
Army, the Secretary of the Air Force. Now we need to have a Secretary 
of the Navy and Marine Corps. It's only right to the Marine Corps that 
they be equally represented and equally respected.
  With that, Madam Speaker, I ask God to please continue to bless our 
men and women in uniform and their families, and may God continue to 
bless America.

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