[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 25 (Thursday, February 25, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E259-E260]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      IN TRIBUTE TO REPRESENTATIVE JOHN P. MURTHA OF PENNSYLVANIA

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. ALAN B. MOLLOHAN

                            of west virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 24, 2010

  Mr. MOLLOHAN. Madam Speaker, I join my colleagues today to express my 
deep sadness at the passing of our colleague, Jack Murtha.
  As I look around the Floor of the House this evening, I see Democrats 
and I see Republicans. I see veteran members of the so-called 
``Pennsylvania corner'' and I see freshmen members--from California, 
from the northeast, from the south. I see Jack's fellow appropriators, 
and I see members who, on other days perhaps, boast proudly of never 
seeking earmarks. Jack Murtha was one of the few members of this body 
who could draw together such an eclectic group.
  That is not a surprise--for Jack Murtha was truly a man of the House. 
He was a Member's Member. He cared about his colleagues, and he 
respected his colleagues--even when he thought they were wrong. Being 
able to disagree civilly has--to the great detriment of our public 
life--become an uncommon quality in Washington. Jack practiced it 
better than anyone.
  Jack was a legislator. His ability and willingness to work with 
almost anyone was one of the reasons Jack was so effective--if you're a 
Democrat and wanted something done, you wanted Jack on your side. If 
you're a Republican and wanted something done, you wanted Jack on your 
side.
  Jack was a Representative. He loved his District, respected his 
constituents, and worked as hard for them as any Member ever has.
  Jack was an institutionalist. He believed in this House of 
Representatives, he defended its prerogatives, and he protected them. 
It has been my great privilege to work closely with

[[Page E260]]

two of the greatest defenders Congress has ever seen--the senior 
Senator from my own state . . . and Jack Murtha.
  Jack was a leader. His respect for his colleagues and his commitment 
to this House informed his role as Chairman. Jack recognized the 
importance of what we do here, and Jack was always--always--prepared. 
There was never a man more suited to the gavel than Jack Murtha.
  Jack was a Marine. If he had not been a Marine, he could have played 
the part--the man radiated strength and purpose in every action he 
took. But Jack not only looked the part, he was the genuine article. 
And there is, of course, no such thing as a former Marine--once a 
Marine, always a Marine. As fiercely as Jack defended the prerogatives 
of Congress, his commitment to our House took a back seat to his 
commitment to men and women in uniform. The service member--an 
infantryman outside Fallujah, a Marine in Afghanistan, an airman in 
Bagram, a sailor in the Persian Gulf--has never had a better protector 
than Jack Murtha. Jack was one of them.
  That is the chief reason he didn't hesitate when he came out so 
publicly against the War in Iraq--something that earned him the respect 
of many and the enmity of some. I don't know that he didn't care about 
either judgment, but I do know that neither applause nor condemnation 
guided his decision at all. His allegiance was to the men and women in 
the field.
  To me, Jack was a friend and a mentor. In a sense that was a 
relationship I inherited. My father, who represented West Virginia's 
First District until he retired in 1982, worked closely with Jack. 
Shortly after I won election to his seat, Dad told me that I would 
never go wrong seeking Jack's counsel. He was right.
  Finally, Jack was a family man, a loving husband and partner to his 
wife, Joyce, and parent to Donna, John, and Patrick. Their loss cannot 
be described by words. They have my deepest condolences.
  Jack will be missed by all.

                          ____________________