[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 116 (Wednesday, August 1, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1386]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IN HONOR OF ADMIRAL JAMES D. WATKINS

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, August 1, 2012

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and exemplary 
service of the late Admiral James D. Watkins. Chief of Naval 
Operations, Chairman of the Commission on AIDS, Secretary of Energy, 
and Chairman of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, he was called out 
of retirement on multiple occasions but left the service of our Nation 
and our world last Thursday night. He passed on from his home in 
Alexandria, VA at the age of 85. His presence will certainly be missed 
not just in Washington, but across the country and particularly in the 
ocean science community.
  A native of California and a graduate of the U.S. Naval Postgraduate 
School in Monterey, Admiral Watkins served in the Navy for 37 years 
where he rose to become the Chief of Naval Operations. An esteemed feat 
by itself, this position was just the starting point for what would 
become his most venerable legacy. After retirement from the Navy, 
Admiral Watkins was appointed Secretary of Energy during the Reagan 
administration.
  Accomplished through his ability to bring disparate groups together 
to understand and solve complex problems, he led two of the most 
important federal commissions to occur in the past 25 years--one on the 
AIDS pandemic and the other on the Congressionally directed Commission 
on Ocean Policy. Both commissions sought to improve the health and 
well-being of all through improved understanding of our least 
understood systems--the human immune system and the planetary ocean 
system. As a public servant and as a citizen, Admiral Watkins acted 
deliberately and thoughtfully to digest massive quantities of 
information and actors into specific challenges with clearly 
articulated steps to achieve agreed-upon outcomes.
  His 16-member Commission on Ocean Policy developed ``An Ocean 
Blueprint for the 21st Century'' which offered comprehensive 
recommendations for a national ocean policy. When those recommendations 
were finalized and presented in 2004, he said, ``With a clear mandate 
from the President, and strong, bipartisan support among Members of 
Congress, we can begin the difficult, but critical process of 
implementing a comprehensive national ocean policy.'' He spent the last 
eight years of his life acting on implementing those recommendations. 
In his wake it will take many of us here in Congress, along with other 
nongovernmental actors to continue to steer and direct these efforts 
and contribute to the heavy lift of moving this important work forward.
  Mr. Speaker, I know I speak for the whole House in recognizing the 
contributions that Admiral Watkins made to make this world a better 
place. We offer our condolences to his family and friends, and 
particularly his six children and his wife, Janet. Those of us who had 
the good fortune to have known him are better people for the 
experience.

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