[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15954]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  DEPARTMENT OF NAVY AND MARINE CORPS

  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. Madam Speaker, for 10 years the House of Representatives, 
under the leadership of Duncan Hunter and Ike Skelton, have brought to 
the floor of the House in our Armed Services bill language to honor and 
respect the Marine Corps by changing the name of the Department of Navy 
to be known as the Department of Navy and Marine Corps. For 10 years we 
sent this language over to the Senate. For 10 years the Senate rejected 
the House position.
  This year, under the leadership of Ike Skelton and Buck McKeon, the 
Armed Services Committee decided to bring this language to the floor as 
what's called a stand-alone bill. We had 425 House Members--there are 
only 435--425 signed this bill to recognize the Navy and Marine Corps 
as one fighting team. And the bill passed the House, as you know, Madam 
Speaker, by what's called unanimous consent.
  Well, at that period of time Senator Pat Roberts from Kansas, a 
former Marine officer, put the same bill in. It's what is called a 
companion bill. And by the time we had passed our bill, he had 80 
Senators in the U.S. Senate sign his companion bill to rename the 
Department of Navy to be Navy and Marine Corps.
  Madam Speaker, I have said many times in the last few weeks that I 
don't think you could get 80 Senators to agree there is a Santa Claus. 
But the Senators do recognize the importance of honoring the Marine 
Corps by letting them share in the name of the family, the family being 
the Navy and Marine Corps family.
  It's my hope if the Senate brings this bill up next week, or the week 
after, or maybe during a lame duck session, that Senator Roberts will 
offer an amendment to that debate on the Senate side. And I would hope 
that those 80 Senators that have signed his bill will vote to honor and 
give this respect to the Marine Corps.
  Madam Speaker, a year ago this September we did a news conference, 
the Marine Corps League, and we had generals here, former commandants 
to speak on behalf of the bill. But two people I wanted to make quick 
reference to. One was Eddie Wright. Eddie Wright is from Texas. He is a 
young Marine--he is not in the Marine Corps now--but he lost both hands 
in Iraq. He has picks for his hands. And he said at the news conference 
that, ``If it had not been for a Navy corpsman, I would be dead. But he 
saved my life. We are one fighting team. And it should be in the 
name.''
  Madam Speaker, I have got these posters, as I begin to close. This is 
the real thrust of what we are trying to do. There would be no cost to 
the Department of Navy if we changed its name to be Department of Navy 
and Marine Corps. But this is an actual condolence letter that a Marine 
captain who was killed for this country--the family received this 
condolence letter. And Madam Speaker, it says at the top the Secretary 
of the Navy, Washington, D.C., with the Navy flag, extends its 
condolence to this Marine who died. It's almost like it's a stepchild. 
It's not really part of the family. All we're trying to do, Madam 
Speaker, is to make this one family.
  Madam Speaker, I am now showing that this same family whose loved one 
was killed, if this bill becomes law, the Secretary of the Navy and 
Marine Corps, with the Navy flag and the Marine flag will send the 
condolence letter to the Marine family.
  Madam Speaker, it's time that we do this for the Marine Corps. I want 
to thank my House colleagues who have helped us with this for 10 years. 
And I hope that the Senate will certainly support Senator Roberts in 
honoring the Marine Corps by renaming it the Department of Navy and 
Marine Corps.
  Madam Speaker, as I do every time before I close, I ask God to please 
bless our men and women in uniform. I ask God to please bless the 
families of our men and women in uniform. I ask God in his loving arms 
to hold the families who have given a child dying for freedom in 
Afghanistan and Iraq.
  I will ask God to please bless the House and Senate that we will do 
what is right in the eyes of God. I will ask God to please bless the 
President, Mr. Obama, that he will do what is right in the eyes of God. 
And three times I will say, God, please, God, please, please, God, 
continue to bless America.

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