[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 25 (Friday, February 15, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E170-E171]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE SERVICE OF DONALD McKINNEY TO THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF 
 REPRESENTATIVES AND THE RESIDENTS OF CALIFORNIA'S 49TH CONGRESSIONAL 
                                DISTRICT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DARRELL E. ISSA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 15, 2013

  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and commend the 
exceptional work of Donald McKinney over the course of his 11 year 
service as a District Representative in my Vista, California office. In 
that role, Don was my principal representative to the communities of 
Oceanside, Fallbrook, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and military and 
veterans throughout the greater San Diego area.
  Don's work was exceptional throughout his tenure, and he 
distinguished himself as a dedicated advocate for the Marines and their 
family members aboard Camp Pendleton. From housing and medical care, to 
transportation and infrastructure, Don took up any cause he believed 
would improve the quality of life for our Marines and dependents.
  Shortly after I took office in 2001, we became aware of appalling 
conditions many Marine families were living in on base. The housing 
stock at Pendleton was worn out, some of it dated back as far as World 
War II, and many dwellings had mold contamination and other unsafe 
conditions. Don met repeatedly with base officials and over the course 
of many visits, carefully documented the housing conditions and 
assembled a binder of facts and photos. He walked miles and miles in 
the Pentagon halls meeting with any military or civilian leader who had 
a role in building or maintaining Marine housing. Don made sure that 
decision makers 2,000 miles away saw the pictures and understood the 
urgency so that it wouldn't get lost as just another line on a 
spreadsheet or item in a report. Marines and their families were living 
in these conditions, and that was unacceptable.
  Today, Camp Pendleton provides some of the finest housing available 
to servicemembers and their dependents. Much of the older family 
housing has been torn down and replaced and the rest fully renovated. 
The base now has 29 new Bachelor Enlisted Quarters buildings. Don's 
advocacy raised awareness within the chain of command and contributed 
significantly to the improvement of housing quality aboard Camp 
Pendleton.
  Don's work earned him the good-will of the Marine Commanders at 
Pendleton and he worked to ensure they had strong relationships with 
local leaders in adjacent communities. This paid dividends most 
recently when local, state and base officials work collaboratively to 
improve the flow of traffic at the Fallbrook Gate, reducing wait times 
to enter the base from 30 minutes to less than one minute. This small 
project provides a notable improvement in the quality of life for 
civilian and military personnel who commute to jobs on base each day.
  Don facilitated more than 500 hours of negotiations between the 
Fallbrook Public Utilities District and Camp Pendleton to bring the 
sides to agreement to settle water rights litigation that has been 
pending for more than 50 years. A final draft settlement is now 
awaiting final approval at Marine Corps Headquarters in Washington, DC.
  Finally, Don was an advocate for improved medical care for autistic 
military children, working to make sure they have access to the most 
effective treatments and to raise awareness so they can gain access to 
the care they need and deserve.
  In a last email to his colleagues, Don shared the experiences that 
were most meaningful over the years. Helping an injured Marine navigate 
a civilian bureaucracy to get a contractors license and a single mother 
clear an error by the Justice Department that allowed her to run a 
daycare center meant the most throughout his years.
  Along with these notable achievements, Don did all of the things our 
aides do on our behalf when Congress is in session and we are away from 
our districts--countless meetings, appearances at the local Rotary or 
Chamber of Commerce luncheon, awards presentations and other public 
appearances.
  I extend heartfelt thanks to Donald McKinney for his good work and 
exceptional service on behalf of the House of Representatives and the 
constituents of the 49th District.

[[Page E171]]



                          ____________________