[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 134 (Tuesday, September 22, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H9778]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 REDESIGNATE 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, in each Congress since 2001, I have 
introduced legislation aimed at giving the Marine Corps the recognition 
it deserves as one of the official branches of the military. This year, 
I introduced H.R. 24, a bill to redesignate the Department of the Navy 
as the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps. Then the Secretary of 
the Navy would be the Secretary of the Navy and the Marine Corps.
  On June 25, 2009, the language of H.R. 24 was passed by the House as 
part of H.R. 2647, the House version of this year's National Defense 
Authorization Act.
  In a matter of days, Members of the Senate and House Armed Services 
Committee will meet to work out a final version of this bill, and the 
language of H.R. 24 will become law if the Senate agrees to the House 
position. Right now, Madam Speaker, the Senate is opposed to this 
language.
  With the help of Senator Pat Roberts, a former marine who introduced 
S. 504, a companion bill in the Senate, and the bill's 308 cosponsors 
in the House, I'm hopeful that this will be the year the Senate will 
support the House position and the Marine Corps will be recognized as 
an equal partner of the United States Navy and Marine Corps team.
  During my 15 years in Congress, whenever a chief of naval operations 
or commandant of the Marine Corps has come to testify before the House 
Armed Services Committee, I have heard that the Navy and the Marine 
Corps are ``one fighting team.'' If this is true, then why should not 
the team bear the name of 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 it is important to 
the team. This change has received support from at least three former 
Navy Secretaries, the Marine Corps League, Veterans of Foreign Wars, 
the Fleet Reserve Association, MarineParents.com, and many other 
individuals and groups.
  As a Chicago Tribune editorial titled, ``Step up for the Marines,'' 
noted: ``The Marines have not asked for complete autonomy. Nothing 
structurally needs to change in their relationship with the Navy, which 
has served both branches well. The Corps only asks for recognition. 
Having served their Nation proudly and courageously since colonial 
days, the leathernecks have earned a promotion.''

                              {time}  1930

  In closing, Madam Speaker, I would like to show what this change 
could mean to the members of the United States Marine Corps, including 
the 41,000 marines and nearly 3,000 sailors stationed in my district at 
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. On August 19, 2009, in the Jacksonville 
Daily News, an article titled ``Navy Secretary Visits Local Troops'' 
described Secretary Mabus' recent visit with Camp Lejeune marines and 
sailors deployed to Iraq. It was touching to read about the Secretary's 
visit to see firsthand the terrific work of the United States Navy and 
Marine Corps team in Iraq. Yet I couldn't help but think the team's 
unity would be better illustrated if the title could have read, 
``Secretary of the Navy and Marine Corps Visits Local Troops.''
  Madam Speaker, right now I'm going to show that this is the actual 
news release. It says, Secretary of the Navy visits local troops, and 
it talks about the marines in Iraq and the Navy. If this should ever 
become law, what it would have said: ``Navy and Marine Corps Secretary 
Visits Local Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.''
  Madam Speaker, before I close, I regret that the Senate does not see 
the importance of giving this recognition to the Marine Corps. So if I 
can close by saying this, as I do every night on the floor, God, please 
bless our men and women in uniform. God, please bless the families of 
our men and women in uniform. God, in your loving arms, hold the 
families who have given a child dying for freedom in Afghanistan and 
Iraq. Dear God, I ask you to please bless the President of the United 
States with the wisdom and courage that he will do what's right for 
this country. And three times I will ask, God please, God please, God 
please continue to bless America.

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