[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14597]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HALLWAY POLICY AND FACES OF THE FALLEN MEMORIAL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, this week I received a 
notice from the Chief Administrative Officer and the Architect of the 
Capitol directing me to remove a memorial outside of my office, which 
honors fallen marines from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, because it 
does not comply with the new hallway policy of the House.
  The hallway policy states that items such as flags, equipment, 
furnishings, and trash must be removed from the hallways. The policy 
defines furnishings, in part, as easels and exhibits and posters.
  While the Faces of the Fallen memorial displayed outside my office 
does include posters and easels, I cannot believe that these symbols of 
service to our Nation could be considered mere furnishings. Discarded 
office equipment and trash are certainly a hindrance to the public who 
passes through the hallways of congressional office buildings. However, 
memorials to honor the lives of those killed in Iraq and Afghanistan 
are a welcome tribute that should not fall under the hallway policy 
jurisdiction.
  Yesterday, I wrote a letter to Speaker  Nancy Pelosi to explain the 
history of this memorial and its importance. In 2004, Congressman Rahm 
Emanuel and I introduced legislation directing the Architect of the 
Capitol to establish an exhibit in the Capitol rotunda to honor the 
memory of members of the United States Armed Forces who have died in 
Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Our legislation 
was never considered. Instead, House Speaker Denny Hastert directed the 
construction of a modest memorial listing names of the fallen in the 
foyer of the Rayburn House Office Building.
  Because we consider the listing of names to be an insufficient way to 
honor the lives of our fallen servicemembers, I, along with other 
Members of Congress, began to display more proper memorials outside of 
our own office areas.
  To fully appreciate the loss of a military hero, I believe it is 
important to see the face of what might have been the fathers, the 
mothers, the sons, the daughters. Hundreds of visitors from my 
district, and others, have stopped to view the faces of fallen marines 
from Camp Lejeune displayed outside my office door, and they have been 
impacted deeply by this memorial.
  Madam Speaker, on one occasion, a mother from Minnesota came into my 
office with tears in her eyes and thanked me for displaying the picture 
of her son, who had been killed while serving our Nation.
  I know that Speaker Pelosi understands the importance of honoring the 
men and women who have died in service to our country. I am very 
grateful that the Speaker has honored my request and the request of 
others that the House observe a moment of silence each month in honor 
of those killed or wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan.
  As another sign of appreciation for these military heroes, I am 
hopeful that Speaker Pelosi will support those of us who wish to 
continue displaying memorials outside of our congressional offices in 
honor of the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our 
country.
  With that, Madam Speaker, I close by asking God to continue to bless 
our men and women in uniform and ask God to bless the families who have 
given a child dying for freedom in Iraq.

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