[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 141 (Thursday, October 10, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1473]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING CHRIS COX, AN AMERICAN PATRIOT AND ONE-MAN MEMBER OF THE 
                            MONUMENT MILITIA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DARRELL E. ISSA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 10, 2013

  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an American who has 
shown enormous commitment to our country and veterans during this 
stalemate in Washington. In response to the partial government 
shutdown, Chris Cox, a resident of South Carolina, travelled to 
Washington to assemble the Monument Militia--a one-man mission to 
maintain the National Mall.
   As some of our leaders in Washington, D.C. are unwilling to 
negotiate with members of the opposite political party to devise a 
solution to re-open the federal government--something the American 
people want and deserve--our national monuments and museums remain 
closed and National Park Service employees normally tasked with keeping 
the Mall clean remain furloughed.
   Therefore, Mr. Cox took it upon himself to ensure the lawn of the 
iconic Lincoln Memorial was mowed and kept tidy for the thousands of 
veterans who will descend on our nation's capital this weekend for the 
Million Vet March.
   When Mr. Cox was asked why he travelled from South Carolina, armed 
with just a chainsaw and lawn mower, to clean up our National Mall, he 
responded, ``These are our memorials. If they shut down our memorials, 
we're still going to take the trash out, we're going to clean the 
windows, we're going to cut the grass, we're going to pull the weeds, 
we're going to do the tree work.''
   I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Cox just this weekend when riding 
my bike around the monuments--surveying how the shutdown has impacted 
our National Mall. Mr. Cox, carrying his state flag of South Carolina, 
expressed his sincerest hope that he would be able to clean the area 
around the Lincoln Memorial to the World War II Memorial because our 
veterans dedicated their lives and fought for us so we should fight and 
honor them, even if the government is shut down.
   This is the American spirit. This is the attitude and perseverance 
our Founding Fathers demonstrated in the face of adversity. Patriotic 
acts, like the ones recently displayed by Mr. Cox, serve as a great 
reminder of how Washington should conduct itself in this frustrating 
time.
   I again offer Mr. Cox my sincerest and humble gratitude for his 
service and commitment to our nation and its veterans, as well as the 
passion and conviction that led him to Washington to make sure our 
National Mall looks its best for our heroes.

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