[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 3 (Thursday, January 5, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S109-S110]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO RAY MABUS

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, today I wish to congratulate Secretary 
Ray Mabus on his retirement as the 75th Secretary of the Navy. It has 
been a great pleasure to work with Secretary Mabus during his 
impressive and storied tenure as the longest serving Secretary of the 
Navy since World War I.
  Since his confirmation in 2009, Secretary Mabus has continually 
reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring America's naval forces are second 
to none. During his more than 7 years of service, Secretary Mabus has 
also demonstrated an unwavering commitment to building our naval fleet 
and supporting America's shipbuilding industrial base. He has put 84 
ships under contract across the country, more than the last three Navy 
secretaries combined, and invested significantly in our aging 
shipbuilding infrastructure.
  Secretary Mabus's focus on increasing shipbuilding has allowed the 
men and women at Bath Iron Works, BIW, to continue building high-
quality destroyers, which are the workhorses of our Navy. To allow the 
Navy to operate these ships to their fullest potential while remaining 
mindful of the budget constraints faced by our military, Secretary 
Mabus supported energy initiatives to reduce dependence on fossil 
fuels. His focus on power-saving technologies, like diesel-electric 
plants in new ships, has reduced the Navy and Marine Corps' fuel 
expenses by 30 percent.
  In Maine, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, PNSY, has received approximately 
$100 million in modernization funds since 2009, enabling it to maintain 
its status as the gold standard for public naval shipyards and further

[[Page S110]]

hone its efficiency and effectiveness in submarine repair.
  While advancing these reforms, Secretary Mabus visited Navy and 
Marine Corps installations across the globe, traveling over 1.3 million 
miles to over 150 countries and territories and all 50 States. When 
measured in distance, Secretary Mabus has travelled to the moon and 
back almost three times. In 2009, he and I visited the hard-working men 
and women at BIW and PNSY together. Since that first visit, Secretary 
Mabus has worked tirelessly to support our shipbuilding industrial base 
and ensure our Navy and Marine Corps have the tools they need to 
succeed.
  In addition, Secretary Mabus's leadership in 2010 on the Gulf Coast's 
long-term recovery plan following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill was 
exemplary. His work securing the future of the Gulf Coast made 
Americans and certainly his home State of Mississippi proud.
  Finally, his emphasis on platforms, power, and partnerships allowed 
our Navy to grow in strength, but Secretary Mabus never forgot those 
who make the system work: the people.
  Secretary Mabus was instrumental in advancing the repeal of don't 
ask, don't tell in 2011, a harmful policy that barred Americans from 
serving their country simply because of their sexual orientation. His 
efforts helped to ensure that all patriots who willingly answer the 
call to arms may proudly serve their Nation.
  Similarly, as discussions on military integration have evolved with a 
new focus on women in combat, Secretary Mabus again stepped up to 
become a leader on gender equality in the military. His support for 
integration of women into the Navy and Marine Corps, in all occupations 
and specialties, and his expansion of maternity leave have ensured that 
women can serve in the military jobs they love.
  Secretary Mabus has also taken steps to support career flexibility, 
continuing education, and family well-being for all members of the Navy 
and Marine Corps. He worked to ensure that all those who serve in 
uniform are provided the mental health care they need and deserve. By 
supporting and empowering a dedicated, intelligent, and committed 
personnel base, Secretary Mabus has enabled our Navy to remain the 
powerful fighting force that it is today.
  With his retirement, we lose a true patriot who served his country as 
a civilian, as well as in uniform, and we lose a visionary leader who 
saw how our Armed Forces could be better--and did everything in his 
power to make it happen. It has been a personal and professional 
pleasure to work with Secretary Mabus, and I wish him fair winds and 
following seas.

                          ____________________