[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 24, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H812-H813]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      IN TRIBUTE TO REPRESENTATIVE JOHN P. MURTHA OF PENNSYLVANIA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Rothman) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ROTHMAN of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I've been in Congress now--
this is my 14th year.
  A lot of people don't know about the quality of some of the people 
who are here in the Congress. A lot of people in this country find it 
funny to ridicule elected officials in general--Members of Congress in 
particular.
  I am going to talk to you about a great American, a great human 
being. But there are many others like him, in a sense, with the 
patriotism and grace and greatness that he possessed.
  Grace, generosity, and greatness: Jack Murtha. This was my fourth 
year serving on Mr. Murtha's defense subcommittee, and I was wondering 
how this giant of a man--physical giant, powerful, legislatively 
powerful man, would accept this guy from Jersey on his subcommittee. 
But he had such grace. He welcomed me with great civility and 
gentility. He was tough. He was so generous to me. He was generous to 
everyone on the committee.
  He believed in bipartisanship absolutely, completely and totally, 
especially when it came to the security of our beloved country, the 
United States of America. So he took the best ideas from wherever they 
came--Democrat, Republican, liberal, or conservative. He just wanted 
what was best for America.
  To talk about generosity, he even let me, a New Jersey guy, into the 
Pennsylvania corner. I was tickled by it. I was honored. For most of my 
years here when I was not on his subcommittee, I would see him over 
there in his corner, and I would see the people flocking around him 
from Pennsylvania and elsewhere, coming as if truly

[[Page H813]]

just to get an audience with just a great man, a great human being, to 
get advice, to get direction, to get support. He always made you feel 
as if he was interested in your point of view.
  He asked me what books I read. When I told him, he said, I want to 
read that book, and he did. He made you feel like you were making a 
contribution.
  The greatness of Jack Murtha--aside from being a great husband and 
father and war hero and devoted representative of the people of 
Johnstown and his congressional district--part of his greatness was his 
expectations, his expectations about what it meant to be an American, 
someone committed to equal justice, equal opportunity, and integrity. 
His integrity was unquestioned and unquestionable.
  I just hope that we remember, Madam Speaker, when we think of this 
great, gracious, generous, gentle giant, Jack Murtha, we remember not 
only his expectations for himself, but we remember his expectations for 
each of us. He had it of his staff, he had it of his committee members, 
he had it of all of his colleagues of the House that we behave as true 
American patriots and leave America stronger, freer, more just, and a 
greater Nation--as great as he believed America to be. He demanded 
greatness from all of us and that we pass on that legacy for our 
country, our fellow countrymen and women, for generations to come.
  Thank you, Mr. Murtha, for all you have done for us, and we hope to 
repay all that you have done for us by giving back to our country and 
creating the kind of country that you fought so hard to make.
  We will never forget you, sir. Thank you. God bless you.

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