[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 24, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H809-H810]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        IN MEMORY OF JACK MURTHA

  (Ms. PELOSI asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I rise to join my colleagues to sing the 
praises of a great man, Jack Murtha. Many of us had the honor of 
calling him colleague in this Chamber, and some of us here had the 
privilege of calling him friend. And when he was your friend, you had a 
true friend.
  Last week, many of us traveled to Johnstown, Pennsylvania, to see 
Jack put to rest. It was wonderful to hear the stories of the thousands 
of people who showed up to pay their last respects to him in Johnstown, 
the people he knew so well, cared about so much, fought for in this 
Chamber. His family was gathered and surrounded by their loved ones and 
people. The former President of the United States, Bill Clinton, was 
there, the Secretary of Defense was there, the chairman of the National 
Security Council was there, representatives of the President's cabinet, 
and planeloads of his colleagues who came from Washington or drove from 
home.
  At that time we laughed and we cried, and we tried to understand why 
this had happened. Jack's wife Joyce, who is very strong, said to me, 
``Jack would have wanted it this way. He went out at the top of his 
game.'' Joyce is very strong. We went there to console, and we came 
back consoled by Jack's strong family.
  I told them in my remarks about Jack holding court in the 
Pennsylvania Corner in this Chamber. There isn't another corner that I 
know of that has its own name and its own presiding officer. But Jack 
held court there, and Members from across the country and across the 
aisle came to visit him, to ask his blessing on their endeavors, and to 
just be encouraged, and sometimes supported by him. The cluster around 
him were Pennsylvanians and others, but he was never alone. He was a 
magnet, a personal magnet. People were drawn to him. He had this 
wonderful smile and cheerful, twinkling eyes.
  To see him operate in the Appropriations Committee, many of us served 
there, was to see a master at work. But really to understand his 
character, it was more important to see him with our troops, whether it 
was just off the

[[Page H810]]

battlefield or in a military hospital, Bethesda Naval Medical Center, 
Walter Reed, Germany, Afghanistan, Iraq, in the hospitals where our 
troops were taken.
  From his own military experience, he would ask them questions very 
knowledgeably about their unit and what they had encountered and what 
they had seen. And they all loved seeing him. They knew he was their 
friend. And so to visit, on the occasions when I had the privilege of 
visiting with Jack Murtha, was to receive a special welcome from the 
troops and their families.
  One time I remember in particular was we were visiting this young 
man, it was a second visit, and he managed somehow, when he knew Jack 
was coming, to get out of his bed. And as we went in the door, there he 
was standing at attention saluting Jack Murtha in a Steelers jersey. 
Pennsylvania, how he loved that State, how he worked for it, how we 
will miss him here.
  He had a special way about him, as I have said, by dint of his 
knowledge, his courage. Imagine the courage it took for Jack Murtha to 
come to our caucus, to come to the Leader's office and tell me that 
day, ``We have to begin removing our troops from Iraq.'' He went alone 
to the press to tell them that. It was like an earthquake in terms of 
opinion. People who had questions about the war felt validated. People 
who respected Jack began to question.
  One thing was for sure. He was respected by the military. And when he 
spoke, they knew it was with no agenda except the national security of 
our country and the safety of our men and women in uniform.
  Force protection. He was always talking about that. When we would 
travel to the war zones, whether it was the seats in the trucks, or the 
better radios, or whatever, up-armored cars, body armor, you name it, 
as soon as he saw the need he came back and delivered. So when he did 
speak out against the war in Iraq, it was really quite a stunning thing 
for our country. I think it was really historic. It wasn't just that 
episode, it was that event of national significance, historic 
significance.
  He received, as has been mentioned, the John F. Kennedy Profiles in 
Courage award. Can you imagine for people of our generation, someone to 
receive the John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage award? I will never 
forget that night. The Kennedy Library, he and Joyce, black tie, 
beautiful Joyce, proud Jack standing tall like a Marine coming down 
those steps, being cheered by Democrats and Republicans alike. It 
wasn't about any partisanship. It was about patriotism.
  He was a proud Marine, as we all know. Semper fi was their motto. 
Semper fidelis. Always faithful. And that was the motto of his life, 
faithful to God, faithful to country, faithful to his family, faithful 
to his district.
  I can't talk about Jack, just one more moment, if I may, Madam 
Speaker, without talking about the funny stories he always told us 
about Tip O'Neill. Tip was his mentor. As he mentored so many of us, 
Tip was his mentor. And he loved Tip O'Neill. And he would tell us the 
stories of how it was to go to a baseball game with Tip, and this and 
that and the rest. I won't go into the stories now about peer review, 
Mr. Obey, and those kind of appropriations matters. But Tip instilled 
in him, perhaps he had it innately, but still Tip strengthened in him a 
pride in this institution that he took very seriously. And he, in 
mentoring others, passed that pride on to others as well. He loved this 
Congress, he loved this institution. He left us at the top of his game. 
We will miss you, Jack Murtha.
  Next week we will gather in Statuary Hall with many more friends who 
can join in, not as we are on the floor of the House, to once again pay 
tribute to this man. It is hard to believe he is gone. But as he said, 
``Soldiers can't speak for themselves. We sent them to war, and, by 
God, we are the ones that have to speak out.''
  His wife Joyce wants us to have the music God Bless America at the 
closing of his ceremony next week. God truly blessed America with the 
life, leadership, and service of Jack Murtha. I hope it is a comfort to 
Joyce and to the children and grandchildren, of whom he was so proud, 
that so many people mourn their loss and are praying for them at this 
sad time.

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