[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 175 (Tuesday, December 6, 2016)]
[House]
[Page H7186]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   CONGRATULATING GENERAL JIM MATTIS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
South Carolina (Mr. Wilson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I am grateful that 
President-elect Donald Trump has made another excellent appointment in 
selecting General Jim Mattis to serve as Secretary of Defense to 
rebuild our military.
  A recent article in The Wall Street Journal notes, ``General Mattis 
has seen the cost of wars enough to want to deter them, but he also 
knows that if you fight them you need to do so with the force and will 
to win.''
  President-elect Trump stated that General Jim Mattis is ``the closest 
thing to General George Patton that we have.''
  The recent service of General Mattis in the Middle East makes him 
uniquely qualified to address threats to servicemembers overseas and 
American families here at home. With General Mattis serving as 
Secretary of Defense, our military will continue to be the best 
fighting force in the world, our men and women in uniform will be 
supported, and our military families will be protected. As a 31-year 
veteran and the grateful dad of four sons who have served overseas in 
the global war on terrorism, I am confident that our goal of peace 
through strength will be achieved under the leadership of General Jim 
Mattis.
  In conclusion, God bless our troops, and may the President, by his 
actions, never forget September the 11th in the global war on 
terrorism.

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