[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 1802-1812]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      IN TRIBUTE TO REPRESENTATIVE JOHN P. MURTHA OF PENNSYLVANIA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 6, 2009, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kanjorski) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
  Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, I rise today to honor our 
friend and one of the outstanding Members of this House, Jack Murtha, 
who represented Pennsylvania's 12th district, and to remember his 
devotion to his work in this Congress, his strength of character, and 
his hard-fought efforts for his district in Pennsylvania and our 
country.
  Additionally, I feel privileged to have called Jack my friend, and I 
know that many other Members in this Chamber feel the same way.
  As first votes were called this week and Members gathered on the 
House floor, it was very apparent to most of us that someone was 
missing. I walked in on Monday almost expecting to see Jack seated in 
the far chair in the Pennsylvania corner as I had seen since I had 
first joined Congress 25 years ago.
  While Jack is no longer with us, his spirit will live in this Chamber 
and in the Halls of Congress. For now, the chair will remain empty, as 
he could never be replaced.
  Jack left us too soon. But his legacy will surely live as a symbol of 
the great work that one man can do and is something that we can all 
strive to achieve. He will be sorely missed by all of his fellow 
colleagues, his friends, and definitely, the Pennsylvania delegation.
  Mr. Chairman, I'd like to yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
(Mr. Holden).
  Mr. HOLDEN. I thank my friend from Pennsylvania for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, today we pay tribute to our departed friend and 
colleague, Jack Murtha. Over 17 years ago, I heard Jack say that his 
great-grandmother told him he was put on this Earth to make a 
difference--and boy did he make a difference.
  He loved his country and served it with distinction at many levels. 
He served in the United States Marine Corps stateside during the Korean 
War. When the Vietnam War broke out, he volunteered to go back and 
served in Vietnam and received two Purple Hearts.
  He was the first Vietnam veteran elected to the United States 
Congress. He was the longest-serving Member in the history of the 
Congress from Pennsylvania to serve in the House of Representatives, 
and as Mr. Young mentioned during his remarks, he never forgot the men 
and women in uniform and made sure that they had the tools to do the 
job that they do so well. And our returning veterans as well, he was 
always at the forefront of making sure they had the proper care and 
treatment and visited them so many times at our military hospitals.
  But he also cared so much about all of us. Everybody in this body has 
an example where Jack helped them. And he helped me so many times over 
the years, but there is just one that I want to share with everyone 
today.
  After the redistricting of 2000 and after the 2002 election, I found 
myself serving in a district that was 60 percent new to me, and I 
inherited one of the best medical facilities in the Commonwealth of 
Pennsylvania--and actually in the entire country--the Penn State Milton 
Hershey Medical Center. And after meeting with the leaders at the Penn 
State Milton facility and seeing the quality of care that they provide, 
he said, There's one thing that we're missing. We're missing a cancer 
research and treatment institute.

                              {time}  1730

  People that we serve, when they are diagnosed, all too often have to 
go to Philadelphia or Pittsburgh or Baltimore for care. We need to have 
a facility for literally millions of central Pennsylvanians, and we, 
Penn State, are willing to put up more than our fair share or more than 
the majority of the cost, but we are about $35 million short of getting 
there.

[[Page 1803]]

  I went to see Jack. I brought him to Hershey. He looked around at the 
quality of care that was provided, made an agreement and said, it won't 
happen in 1 year or 2 years, but it will happen. We, the Federal 
Government, will be a partner and the people of central Pennsylvania no 
longer will have to travel to Philadelphia or Pittsburgh or Baltimore.
  I am proud to say today that as a result of Jack's efforts and his 
desire to help me, we have the best quality cancer care in central 
Pennsylvania. All of us could cite incidents like that where Jack cared 
about Members and did things to affect the quality of life for their 
constituents.
  Our thoughts and prayers continue to go to Joyce and Donna and 
Patrick and John and so many of Jack's former staffers and current 
staffers that are with us today.
  Jack, we miss you dearly.
  Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I would like to introduce Mr. Mike Doyle. 
Before he speaks a word, he was commissioned as the jokester of the 
Pennsylvania Corner purposely to keep Jack in his good spirits during 
his presence there.
  Mr. DOYLE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
  I rise to honor the memory of my mentor and my dear friend, 
Congressman Jack Murtha. This is a tough day for all of us in the 
Pennsylvania delegation. Our State has lost its 800-pound gorilla and 
our dear, dear friend.
  Jack Murtha personified the people of western Pennsylvania, tough, 
hardworking, salt of the Earth. He loved his family. They always came 
first, his beautiful wife, Joyce, to whom he was married for over 50 
years, his three children, his grandchildren. Family always came first 
to Jack Murtha.
  He loved his country, and he most especially loved the men and women 
who wore the uniform of the United States of America. He was their 
champion. There wasn't any Member in this body who fought harder for 
those troops than Jack Murtha did.
  He loved this institution too. I remember he especially was helpful 
to new Members. When I got elected in 1994, Jack took me under his wing 
and one day he sat me right back there in the Pennsylvania Corner, 
right next to his chair, and he said, I am going to give you two pieces 
of advice. He says, number one, sit here on the floor and learn the 
rules and the procedure, because if you master the rules and the 
procedure of the House, someday you're going to get a chance to offer a 
bill, and the people that understand the rules will always win.
  He said, secondly, find out what you are passionate about and be the 
best person you can be in that field. Be the person that other people 
come to and ask for advice on that issue.
  I never forgot that advice. Sixteen years later, every day, we still 
come over to that corner, and those of us who were smart enough would 
come over there to seek Jack's counsel. He didn't just do it for the 
members of the Pennsylvania delegation, he did it for anyone who was 
smart enough to come back there and introduce themselves to Jack and 
seek his counsel. It didn't matter what their party affiliation was 
either.
  Much has been said about Jack's ability to work across the aisle. He 
truly did. When he chaired the Defense appropriations committee, it 
didn't matter to him what your party was. What mattered to him is that 
you had something that was going to be good for the troops and good for 
the country, and if you had a good idea, Jack was willing to help you 
turn that idea into reality.
  When you think about the appropriation bills and how long it takes us 
sometimes to pass bills and how long that we go sometimes without 
passing bills and have to throw them in an omnibus at the end of the 
year, there was always one bill that we never had a problem passing. I 
can't remember in the 16 years that I have been here in the House of 
Representatives it ever taking more than 10 minutes to pass the Defense 
appropriations bill. Jack just had it all worked out from the 
beginning, and he worked it out with both sides. That was the beauty of 
it.
  You know, it was said that when Jack wasn't in the majority anymore 
and not the chairman of the committee, it was hard to tell who was the 
chairman of the committee, because Jack and his good friend, Bill 
Young, they worked together as a team. They were both the Chairs of the 
committee every year, regardless of what party was in control. It was 
his dear friend, and it was a pleasure to see those two work.
  To sit on these opposite ends, we hear so much rancor in America 
today about the division in our country and the division here in the 
House of Representatives, how Democrats and Republicans can't work 
together. These two gentlemen worked together their entire careers. 
They were an example for the rest of us to follow.
  Jack Murtha is not with us anymore. It's hard to imagine coming to 
the Pennsylvania Corner, and I think the toughest thing for all of us 
this week was to stand in that corner and see that chair empty and know 
that our friend wasn't coming in. It's going to take us a while for 
that to sink in that it's really happened, but one thing lives on. Jack 
would want us to move forward. Jack wouldn't want us to spend a lot of 
time dwelling about him or how we feel because he is gone.
  Jack would want us to get back to work. He would want to make sure 
that we were working for this country and for our districts. He always 
told every Member that came over there, vote your district first. 
Regardless of what anybody tells you on this floor, you vote your 
district. I watched Jack Murtha chase some of the leadership of our 
party back from Pennsylvania Corner when they were trying to make some 
of our members not vote their districts. Jack made sure that that 
didn't happen.
  Jack, we're going to miss you. You've been a great teacher. To those 
of us in the Pennsylvania delegation, you were a great friend, to many 
of us a father figure. We stand here today to honor your memory and to 
pledge to you that we will continue to work hard in your memory and 
make sure that the people of western Pennsylvania and the great State 
of Pennsylvania continue the tradition that you set for all of us, the 
example that you set for this delegation.
  To his family, our deepest sympathies. Jack Murtha, Godspeed, God 
bless.
  Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, Jack's chairman as chairman of the 
Appropriations Committee, David Obey.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, this is a very human institution, and it's 
affected very much by our personal relationships with one another. Very 
frankly, for the first 20 years that Jack and I served on the 
Appropriations Committee, we were often adversaries. There were some 
issues that we differed on. He was, as has already been said, very much 
old school, and I was more of a reformer.
  In fact, when I ran for the chairmanship of the committee against a 
senior member of the committee, Jack managed the campaign of my 
opponent and, unfortunately, he did a pretty good job. After I was 
elected, we had pretty much an arm's-length relationship for a couple 
of years.
  But if you care about your country, and you care about this 
institution, you swallow your differences and you learn to work with 
everybody. Jack and I soon had developed a solid working relationship, 
and we became allies on a host of issues. One of our most important was 
our view of the war in Iraq and how to get out of it; and another was 
our concern about the dubiousness of our continued involvement in 
Afghanistan if we didn't have a better ally in that government to rely 
upon.
  We often talked together, and we traveled together. We went to the 
Middle East together. We shared something special as well in a 
different place on this globe. A few years ago, he and I and Dave 
Hobson and our staffs became concerned about the visitors center at 
Normandy. It was really pretty much of a cracker box affair, and it was 
not at all fitting to the history of that place. So we determined that 
there ought to be a new visitors' center at Normandy. With the three of 
us working together with our staffs, that visitors center was built.

[[Page 1804]]

  Today, if you visit it--and it's truly beautiful--there is a little 
plaque behind that visitors center in front of a small tree with the 
names of Murtha, Obey and Hobson on it. I know I am proud of that, and 
I know Jack was proud of that. I think it symbolizes what happens in 
this place. Two people who started out as adversaries became reasonably 
good friends, never fully agreeing, because no two people in this place 
ever agree on everything, but we had a solid working relationship.
  I learned one thing about Jack a long time ago. He had the courage of 
his convictions, and he fought hard every way he knew how for those 
convictions, and he cared deeply about the welfare of the men and women 
who served in the Armed Forces and defend this country's freedom.
  I am proud that at Normandy there is that little note of the three of 
us having gotten together, all for one purpose, to honor the people who 
did so much on those beaches to build and preserve America's freedom 
and the freedom of the world.
  Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I would now like to yield to the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky).
  Mr. VISCLOSKY. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  I would like to take a bit different tack because I met Chairman 
Murtha for the first time in 1977 when I was an associate staff on 
Appropriations. My Member and my mentor, Adam Benjamin, Jr., was a 
member of the Appropriations Committee that year. Mr. Murtha, Mr. 
Carney, Mr. Benjamin and others were instrumental in that year, not 
only in that appropriations process, but in also establishing the Steel 
Caucus, because they were very concerned about people who worked in 
their district.
  What I took away as a staffer from that relationship with Mr. Murtha 
is the fact that he always treated me and every other staff he came 
into contact with with respect. He always heard what I had to say and 
what other staff had to say, whether, as Mr. Obey implied, he always 
agreed with you or not, and he always treated you very professionally.
  I had no conception during those 6 years working as a staff member 
that the time would come that I would serve as a colleague on the 
committee with Mr. Murtha, would serve on the subcommittee, and would 
be blessed enough to call him a friend. He was a friend to every person 
he encountered. He was a good friend to the people he represented, 
because he was most concerned with those who worked hard, who needed a 
job or who needed a hand up.
  Our country is much richer because of that attitude that Mr. Murtha 
carried with him every day, and the world is certainly a much better 
place than it would have been had he not walked among us.
  The fact is, as far as his activities on the Defense subcommittee, 
and my Member was a former marine as well, I was always struck that 
while some people are very focused on weapons systems, Mr. Murtha, 
while never losing sight of the big picture, was most concerned about 
that individual man or woman who was in the field, who was risking 
their life and who was serving our country. As he would suggest, 
operation and maintenance, how you train, how you provide for their 
safety, how you equip that person and their family and those children 
was the most important thing for him.
  He taught me many valuable life lessons. I am a better person, and we 
are all better people because of Mr. Murtha. He will be greatly missed, 
and I deeply appreciate the gentleman from Pennsylvania for this 
opportunity.

                              {time}  1745

  Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I now yield time to the gentleman from 
western Pennsylvania, one of Jack's prodigies, Jason Altmire.
  Mr. ALTMIRE. I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania and I thank 
everyone who has spoken tonight.
  I want to talk about western Pennsylvania and what Jack meant to 
western Pennsylvania, his home region and my home region.
  A lot has been said over the past few weeks, and certainly tonight, 
about the impact that this ``giant of the Congress'' made on this 
institution, that he made on this country, and certainly the impact 
that he had on the American military, and there is nobody here that 
supported them more than Jack Murtha.
  I wanted to talk about the impact he had on his home region. I am 
fortunate enough to represent a district that is intertwined, due to 
gerrymandering, with Mr. Murtha's district, the district that he 
represented for so many years. I was born in a hospital that is in the 
district that he represented. I grew up in a town that is in the 
district that he represented. And I can tell you that we have lost a 
giant in this Congress and we have lost a giant in this country, but 
we've lost a giant in western Pennsylvania. He will not be forgotten in 
his home region.
  And it should not be forgotten that this is somebody--and we talk 
about the work that he did as a member of the Appropriations Committee. 
He put, over the course of his career, $1.5 billion into breast cancer 
research. He put nearly $1 billion into diabetes research as a member 
of the Appropriations Committee. I don't think that there is anybody in 
this Congress that has a record that can match what he has done in 
promoting health and promoting wellness--yes, in our military, but 
across all segments of society. And again, this is somebody, as 
Congressman Doyle talked of earlier, that epitomizes the work ethic 
that represents western Pennsylvania and the constituency that we 
represent.
  I am fortunate to have known Mr. Murtha. I count him as a true 
champion of the region that I grew up in and somebody who will never be 
forgotten. There will never be his like again in western Pennsylvania, 
in the Congress, or in the country.
  I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for the time.
  Mr. KANJORSKI. I would now like to yield to part of our leadership, 
Mr. Larson.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. I want to thank the gentleman, the Dean of 
the Pennsylvania delegation, for having this opportunity for Members to 
speak about a great American and someone who was so near and dear to 
all of us.
  I want to commend Mike Doyle, Bob Brady, Paul Kanjorski, the entire 
delegation for last week making sure that, aside from the formal 
services held for Mr. Murtha in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, there was an 
opportunity for an Irish wake afterwards. Jack, I know, would have been 
very proud of that. I am sure he got quite a chuckle with Tip O'Neill 
up in a higher place at the coming together of so many Members and 
regaling with so many stories of Jack Murtha.
  America has lost a great patriot. The Congress has lost one of its 
giants, one of the most knowledgeable Members on national defense ever 
to serve here, whose service spanned four decades and eight Presidents 
and Members from both Chambers and on both sides of the aisle.
  Our hearts go out to Joyce and the family. We in this body have lost 
a person that makes the very essence and fabric of being here so rich 
and rewarding; it was evident in listening to our colleagues, listening 
to Rodney and Bill and Jack Kingston talk about Mr. Murtha. His death 
is a reminder to us all that our time here and all that we hope to 
accomplish is fleeting. As he would say, make the most of it while 
you're here; become expert in a field; but most of all, stand up for 
what you believe.
  Jack reminded me in so many ways of my grandfather, with that shock 
of white hair and piercing blue eyes and his way of questioning, but 
also his incredible Irish wit. He loved Congress. He was the epitome of 
what so often is talked about in terms of bipartisan cooperation and 
was so often demonstrated between him and Bill Young or Dave Hobson. 
When he gave his word, he kept it.
  He was a Member's Member, ever cognizant of what he could do to help 
you. And while he was a tough questioner and firm in his convictions, 
he had an incredible heart and a deep love of history. He loved to talk 
about Tip O'Neill and the good ol' days here.

[[Page 1805]]

  I was fortunate to travel overseas with Mr. Murtha four times. 
Sometimes I thought I drew the short straw in the Pennsylvania corner 
because Jack, when he took a trip, it was all work; up at 6, he was in 
bed by 7. There were no PowerPoints, and he looked people dead in the 
eye. And he always made sure that he spoke to the enlisted men because 
he cared most about them. A decorated hero, two Purple Hearts and a 
Bronze Star in Vietnam, the first Member from that conflict and veteran 
elected to the United States Congress.
  Personally, a young man from East Hartford, my hometown, was wounded 
in Fallujah. He was in bad shape. He was sent back here, and his 
brother who was fighting alongside him, a fellow marine, was back 
there. Jack Murtha got on the phone and made sure that those brothers 
were united at Bethesda along with their parents.
  I remember him counseling a father and his teenage son over at 
Ramstein Hospital in Germany. They had just lost a son. I don't know 
where Jack got the strength or that reservoir of courage to comfort and 
console the father and son, but he did, in almost Father O'Malley 
quality.
  He cared so deeply about the troops that serve this great Nation. And 
as Bill Young pointed out, he and Bill made more trips out to Bethesda 
and Walter Reed with no publicity. They did it out of duty and honor 
and respect for those who serve.
  He wrote a book, and on these flights I was privileged as he would go 
through it with me. His favorite book of all time was ``War and 
Peace.'' He cared as deeply about peace as he did about making sure 
that we protected our troops when they're in the field and took care of 
them when they came home.
  He will ever stand out in the minds of Americans for standing up and 
speaking out against the war in Iraq, an issue that he struggled deeply 
with. But as so many great Americans on this floor and in this Chamber 
and around this Nation, he found that profile in courage to stand up 
and speak out.
  Democrats, I dare say, would not be in the majority if it were not 
for Jack Murtha leading the way and speaking out, because he is a 
soldier's soldier. And he was respected on both sides of the aisle, as 
you've heard this evening. But as one commentator said, when Jack 
Murtha speaks, he speaks for America, and he did.
  How proud he was to receive the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Profile in 
Courage Award. But his life was not only about speaking out; it was 
about the day-to-day work, the belief that he had in the men and women 
who serve and the people that he was sworn to serve from his district, 
and about the men and women who work here. He loved this institution. 
God, how everyone liked to come over to the corner. It seemed as though 
people were going over there either to hear confessions, seek advice 
and, most often, to check in on how their projects were doing. But he 
did it with wit, determination, and guile, and a deep love and abiding 
respect for his country.
  For me personally, one of the great honors of being a Member of the 
United States Congress will always be to say I had the opportunity to 
serve with Jack Murtha, a great American.
  God bless you, Jack. God bless Joyce and your family.
  Mr. KANJORSKI. Thank you very much, Mr. Larson.
  I now yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Carney).
  Mr. CARNEY. Thank you, Mr. Kanjorski, the new dean. I know that is 
probably a hard title to accept now under these circumstances.
  It's interesting, I was listening to Mr. Larson speak, and I truly 
wish that every American had the opportunity to be in Johnstown on 
Monday night last to be part of the wake we had because it was truly a 
celebration of a man who deserves to be celebrated, but it was very 
striking in the bipartisanship that was displayed there. Friends on 
both sides of the aisle came to honor the man who was--and the word is 
not overused in this case--a giant, who knew how to fight for what he 
believed in, but also knew the art of the possible.
  One thing Jack taught me a long time ago is that we are judged on 
this Earth not by what we don't do, but what we do. That is how I think 
we all have to proceed as Members of Congress in this body that we are 
privileged to be elected to serve. And here is a man who fought for 
everything he believed in.
  Back in 2006, a number of us had the privilege of meeting Jack. He 
became our mentor when we came into power as the majority party again. 
And it was his leadership, his tutelage, and his guidance that got us 
here. And the fact of the matter is, when you came to Jack with a 
problem, especially one that dealt with the troops, he was going to 
take care of it.
  Before my tenure here in Congress I was a professor at Penn State, 
and I had a student who was deployed to Iraq in the first wave of the 
invasion. He came back from Iraq and told me that, When we were there, 
we had to go through Iraqi junkyards to find scrap metal to lob onto 
our trucks for more protection. When I told Jack that story, that kind 
Irish face of his hardened, those blue eyes didn't twinkle quite as 
much, and that grin firmed up. He said, By God, we're going to fix 
that. And by God, he fixed that.
  Jack, we are going to miss you. We are going to look back in that 
corner. We are going to know that we are not whole just yet, but we 
will remember the lessons you taught us and the leadership you 
provided.
  Godspeed, soldier.

                              {time}  1800

  Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I recognize the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Patrick J. Murphy).
  Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. I thank the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania and now the dean of the delegation.
  I want to echo the comments of my classmate, Congressman Chris 
Carney, also from Pennsylvania. When we came in together, he was really 
our mentor, and he was a great man. I thought it was fitting, when we 
heard earlier Republicans talking about the honor to serve with a great 
patriot like Jack Murtha, the fact that he always reached across the 
aisle. The pallbearers at his service last week were both Democrats and 
Republicans. They were coming together to be those pallbearers in that 
final service.
  In that service last week, we heard how Mrs. Bair told a young Jack 
Patrick Murtha that one person can make a difference, that one person 
can change the world. Whether it was in the Marine Corps, in the 
Congress of the United States, or within the Murtha Family, Jack 
Patrick Murtha certainly did make quite a difference.
  In the military, he was proud of his over three decades in the Corps. 
He was proud that he was the first combat marine to serve in the United 
States Congress. He was proud when he had given a knife to a current 
commandant of the Marine Corps, General Conway. General Conway talked 
in the service last week about still having that knife. He was also 
proud to go down the street at the Walter Reed military hospital to see 
the men and women, our country's heroes, when they came back. When they 
gave it all on the battlefield and they came home, he was there for 
them.
  As for his time in the Congress, he was proud of the family that made 
up ``team Murtha''--the folks who served with great honor and 
distinction, not just to the constituents of the 12th Congressional 
District of Pennsylvania, but also to the citizens of the United States 
of America.
  I am a person who often says that budgets are moral documents. If you 
want to see someone's priorities, you look at his budget, whether it's 
a family's budget or a country's budget. Well, the fact is that Jack 
Murtha made sure that our troops had everything that they needed. If 
our warfighters were going to put their lives on the line, if they were 
going to be willing to take a bullet to keep our families and our 
country safe, Jack Murtha did not want a fair fight. Jack Murtha wanted 
to make sure that our troops had a tactical and a technical advantage 
on that battlefield. Jack

[[Page 1806]]

Murtha also wanted to make sure that the Congress of the United States 
and our country's policymakers also had the right war policy for those 
troops.
  As John Larson said earlier, when Jack Murtha spoke about calling for 
a timeline to bring our troops home from Iraq, it sent shock waves, not 
just across our country but around the world, that he was going to 
stand up for principle and do the right thing. That is the kind of 
marine, that is the kind of leader that Jack Murtha was. It was no 
surprise to many of us who had watched him throughout the years when he 
was awarded John Kennedy's Profile in Courage. He was so proud of that 
award because he knew what that award represented--the fact that he, a 
guy who had grown up in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, had finally made a 
difference.
  Lastly, we all know Jack to be the family man that he was. The fact 
is he was most proud of his wife, Joyce, of his kids and of his 
grandchildren. He'd be here at the Capitol so early, by 6:00 in the 
morning at least. Then when we'd have late votes, at about 7:00 or 
7:30, you could see him fidgeting. We used to joke with him.
  You'd hear Bob Ray ask, What's the matter? Does Joyce have pork chops 
going on? You know, why do you want to rush out of here?
  He'd say, I've got to get home.
  He wanted to make sure that he was home so he could be there with his 
family to have a meal.
  I believe that John Patrick Murtha and his service that he gave to 
our country as a marine, as the chairman, and as a family man is a 
testament to his life's work, which is that one man can make a 
difference.
  God bless you, Jack Murtha.
  Mr. KANJORSKI. Thank you, Mr. Murphy.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the last of the Pennsylvania delegation, 
Representative Dahlkemper of Erie.
  Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. I thank the gentleman, our new dean of the 
delegation.
  I join my fellow Pennsylvania members and all of those who are here 
tonight to honor Jack Murtha. I am deeply honored and equally saddened 
to stand here in tribute to our colleague and to my friend, the late 
Jack Murtha. I am the youngest--or the newest member, I should say. I 
am not the youngest. I am the newest member of the Pennsylvania 
delegation. I've been here just 14 months.
  Yet, from the first day that I stepped onto this floor, Jack Murtha 
was a friend, was a mentor. He welcomed me into the corner, the famous 
Pennsylvania corner which I had heard so much about. He welcomed me 
graciously, sharing his wisdom, sharing his intellect, his wit, his 
humor.
  He would say, Hey, kid. How ya doing?
  Jack and I, I think, quickly developed a very special relationship. I 
saw him sort of as my father on the floor, the person I could turn to. 
He was a mentor, always offering me that advice. Jack Murtha made sure 
that, as a new Member, I knew my constituents had to come first, that 
you represent the people who brought you here in every vote.
  He was enormously helpful to all of us here. Certainly, if I had a 
question or a concern or an issue in my district, I'd first turn to 
Jack Murtha and get his advice on how I should proceed.
  In November, I am so grateful that I was given the privilege to 
travel with Jack Murtha to Afghanistan over the Thanksgiving work 
period. We went to visit our troops abroad. To be with him and to see 
how he interacted with our troops was just a wonderful experience to be 
a part of. In seeing his questioning of those in charge, I learned a 
lot from him over that trip--how to do a CODEL, how to do it right and 
how to come back with the information that you need. There was no 
better person to really take that journey with than Jack Murtha.
  His mere presence in Afghanistan and everywhere we went on that trip 
commanded respect from everyone we encountered, and his keen insight 
and understandings of the needs of our troops, I think, was appreciated 
by everyone. All of those whom he touched there knew that he had one 
interest, and that was to take care of those who were there serving our 
country.
  Jack Murtha was a true patriot. He loved his country, and he believed 
in the value of public service. His passing is a great loss for the 
United States of America. It is a great loss for the Commonwealth of 
Pennsylvania. It is a great loss to his district. It is a great loss to 
all of us who served with him in the House. I am grateful to have 
served with him.
  God bless Jack Murtha. God bless his family--his wife, Joyce, his 
children and his grandchildren.
  Mr. KANJORSKI. Thank you, Mrs. Dahlkemper.
  Now we will hear from the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Kilpatrick).
  Ms. KILPATRICK of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I, too, come to pay homage 
to a giant--to our leader, our chairman, the epitome of a public 
servant. All of us feel like he was our best friend.
  As the newest member of the Defense Appropriations Committee, I was 
in awe as I watched the chairman yield, educate, speak, and do what he 
did so that all of the members on our subcommittee, on both sides of 
the aisle, could participate in the process.
  Chairman Murtha held 32 hearings before we even got to the 
appropriations bill last year. I was at every one of them. To watch him 
and to watch the prestige and the honor that he received as well as 
gave to those who came before our subcommittee was astounding. Chairman 
Murtha welcomed me into the group. It is a prestigious group. In my 32 
years of public service, there has been none like it.
  I honor you, Jack Murtha, for your wisdom, your courage. It has 
already been said--and I akin myself to all of my colleagues who have 
come before me, but the redundancy needs to be said over and over 
again--that our country has lost a giant. This institution will never 
be the same. We will strive to carry the torch and passion of Jack 
Murtha, those of us on the committee, on the full committee, and in 
this Congress on both sides of the aisle.
  We love you, Jack Murtha. I pledge to you, as I do my work here in 
the United States House of Representatives, it is because of you and 
others like you who showed me and helped me to become that defense 
protege, if you will, who will speak out, who will protect our men and 
women in uniform and our entire United States of America. So rest in 
peace, my great warrior.
  To his family--to his children and grandchildren--know that you have 
a friend in all of us. We have adopted you into our family. Let us 
speak and serve and reach and grow and build a new United States of 
America as Jack Murtha has held us to do.
  God bless you, Jack. We will never forget you.
  Warrior. Statesman. Husband. Father. Legislator. Chairman John P. 
Murtha was the epitome of the best of what our nation's military and 
this Congress does. As one of the seven people in the history of our 
country selected to Chair the House Defense Appropriations 
Subcommittee, Chairman Murtha comes from a family with a long and 
stellar line of service to our country. Chairman Murtha's great-
grandfather served in the Civil War. His father and three uncles served 
in World War II. Chairman Murtha, along with his brothers, served in 
our nation's military during the Vietnam War. His sons served in the 
military as well. Of course, we all know that Chairman Murtha went in 
as an enlisted man in the United States Marine Corps, serving as a 
drill sergeant at Parris Island, South Carolina, the home to many of 
our Marines. In 1966, Chairman Murtha volunteered for active duty in 
the Marine Corps, joining his brothers in combat. Chairman Murtha 
earned two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and the Vietnamese Cross for 
Gallantry in Vietnam. Chairman Murtha served in the Marine Corps in the 
reserves, and retired as a Colonel.
  Chairman Murtha, after active duty in Vietnam, became active in 
politics and was elected to Pennsylvania's House of Representatives. 
When Chairman Murtha was elected to Congress in 1974, he was the first 
Vietnam era veteran elected to Congress. Chairman Murtha was a 
dedicated and devoted servant to the people of Pennsylvania's 12th 
Congressional District. We all know Chairman Murtha.
  What many people do not know is how Chairman Jack Murtha fought for 
pay raises for all members of America's military. How

[[Page 1807]]

Chairman Murtha demanded accountability from all our Presidents on the 
number of contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan. What many people do not 
know is how Chairman Murtha took a young Member of Congress aside and 
taught her or him how to get things done. What many people do not know 
is that Chairman Murtha was feared, and also respected; Chairman Murtha 
was intimidating and also loved. There is a reason that just over my 
shoulder, on the House floor, a flag hangs in respect, love and 
admiration in the seat that Chairman Murtha called home for more than 
three decades.
  Chairman Murtha's respect went far beyond the confines of the House 
Appropriations Committee on Defense. When our Nation's warriors go to 
fight for us, they deserve nothing but the best in return. That was 
Chairman Murtha's goal for the men and women of our Nation's military. 
Chairman Murtha, very simply, made things happen. You know what? Most 
of the things that Chairman Murtha made happen never made the pages of 
the newspaper. They were not in a sound bite on television or on radio. 
But each and every Member who walks these halls know that Congress is a 
lot emptier and things will not be done as quickly or as well since the 
loss of Chairman Murtha. I do not believe that it is an understatement 
when I say that the reason why our troops in Iraq are coming home today 
is because Chairman Murtha, warrior, statesman, and lover of his men 
and women in combat, said ``enough.''
  Chairman Murtha knew defeat and victory. Chairman Murtha loved the 
institution of Congress, he loved his family, he loved his Marines, he 
loved his service members of our nation's military, and those 
individuals who volunteer to put themselves in harm's way to defend our 
Constitution. Chairman Murtha defended our Constitution as a Marine in 
combat in Vietnam. Chairman Murtha defended our Constitution as a 
Member of Congress. Chairman Murtha will continue to guide the spirits 
and souls of us all as we work to solve the problems of America. 
Because that is what Chairman Murtha did--solve problems.
  Chairman John Patrick Murtha, rest in peace. To his wife and family, 
know that we will always honor and cherish his memory, and we thank you 
for sharing him with us for more than three decades. The heart of a 
lion that once roamed the halls of Congress is lost, and I will miss 
his kind heart, his vivacious spirit, and his intelligence forever.
  Mr. KANJORSKI. Thank you very much, Ms. Kilpatrick.
  Now we will hear from the gentleman from New York (Mr. Hinchey).
  Mr. HINCHEY. Well, thank you very much.
  I just want to express my deep sense of sadness for the loss of a 
very dear friend, someone for whom I had a great deal of respect and 
admiration. I know that sense is not unique. It is shared and expressed 
by a great many of other people. Of course, the reasons for that are 
the interactions that he had with so many of the people. It is the 
involvement that he had and the way in which he provided leadership and 
direction for a great many. I knew him for a little more than 17 years 
but not very closely until the last year and a half or so, and that was 
because I now serve on the subcommittee that he chaired, the 
Subcommittee on Defense.
  I felt a great sense of admiration for him, for the focus that he had 
on the work that he had to do and for the way in which he did it so 
very, very effectively. I could understand why, because that was the 
simple nature of the man, and it was the kind of thing that he had done 
all his life.
  He served in the military, and was a great exemplary of strength, and 
honor, and courage, and he had done the same thing during his tenure 
here in the House of Representatives. He served with strength, and 
honor, and courage. He did a great many things for the district that he 
represented, a great many things for Pennsylvania, but also a great 
many things for many places across this country. I know that he did a 
great many things in helping me.
  So, again, I want to express my deep sense of gratitude for Jack 
Murtha, my deep respect for him and this deep, unexpected sadness in 
his leaving us. I had thought that he would be here for a long, long 
time. Nevertheless, we will continue to have the strength that we have 
had as a result of our interactions with him. We will be much more 
effective, much more knowledgeable, and there will be a continuation of 
positive things done here. A lot of those positive things will be as a 
direct result of the leadership and of the examples set by Jack Murtha.
  Thank you, Jack, for everything that you've done.
  Mr. KANJORSKI. Thank you very much, Mr. Hinchey.
  Now we will hear from the gentleman from Georgia.
  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. I thank the gentleman for yielding and for 
allowing me to participate in this tribute to our great friend.
  The poet wrote that the lives of great men all remind us that we can 
make our lives sublime, and departing, leave behind footprints on the 
sands of time.
  Jack Murtha was a great man, and he, indeed, left indelible 
footprints. He left footprints on his beloved district in Pennsylvania 
with all of the projects and all of the things that he did for his 
constituents there over the 36 years of service he gave.
  He left footprints on the Department of Defense and on the men and 
women who served in our military and their families with all of the 
care and the concern that he put into making sure that they had 
everything that was needed to carry out their missions and that they 
got what they needed when they returned home.

                              {time}  1815

  He left a footprint on this institution with the leadership and the 
example that he set for all of us as a bipartisan collegial 
representative. To watch the interaction between Mr. Murtha and Mr. 
Young and to be able to feel and to see the genuine friendship and 
mutual respect that they had for each other was a lesson every day in 
the collegiality and the civility that Members of this institution 
should carry in the traditions of this institution.
  Jack Murtha made and left indelible footprints on the United States 
of America. He made an impression on all of us, on his family, Joyce, 
who was a mentor to my wife in the Congressional Club as Jack was a 
mentor to me in this House. I can remember my very first trip to 
Murtha's Corner, seeking sage advice, and I can remember the last trip 
on his last day on the floor a thousand visits later.
  Jack made a lasting impression on us. He was a friend. He was a 
mentor. He was a Members' Member. The world is better because Jack 
Murtha was here. This institution and our country are better because 
Jack Murtha was here.
  Someone said you make your living by what you get; you make your life 
by what you give. Jack Murtha indeed made a life and he made our lives 
better for his service.
  Thank you, Jack. Thank you to the Murtha family. Thank you, God, for 
allowing us to know, love, and share the life of this very exceptional 
and remarkable man.
  Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield now to the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Holt).
  Mr. HOLT. We will miss Jack Murtha. Strong-willed plain spoken, 
fearless, dedicated, patriotic, honorable, and remarkably generous with 
his time, his wisdom, and his advice. We will not see the like of him.
  The descendant of veterans of the American war of independence and 
the Civil War, he was the champion of the marine, the soldier, the 
sailor, the flyer. And to me personally he was magnanimous.
  When the Speaker created the Select Intelligence Oversight panel as 
part of the Appropriations Committee and asked me to take the chair, 
Jack Murtha embraced the panel and gave it strength, even though it 
might have appeared to lessen his authority. Of course, nothing ever 
diminished the authority of Jack Murtha. He embodied authority. More 
than magnanimous, he was kind and sharing.
  We express our sympathy to the family, friends, and all of those who 
Jack Murtha championed who don't know what he did for them and what he 
did for America. What a loss.
  Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey 
(Mr. Pascrell).
  Mr. PASCRELL. We who worked with Jack Murtha day in and day out 
really appreciated his deep respect for this institution.

[[Page 1808]]

  In a time when we see the demise of institutional respect and ritual, 
he enjoyed the ritual of this House, just as he enjoyed the ritual of 
serving his country as a marine. He enjoyed the ritual of marriage. He 
was honorable, he was devoted, and he was faithful; a faithful brother 
who served his country and asked nothing in return. Man, that is 
different in this city.
  Jack and I 7 years ago came together in two different paths in order 
to respond to our soldiers, our brothers and sisters, our aunts and 
uncles and fathers and mothers who were coming back from Iraq and 
Afghanistan with the signature injury of those two wars: traumatic 
brain injury. No contusion, no blood, misdiagnosed, never diagnosed. 
And post-traumatic stress disorder. It was part of my official family. 
I knew it firsthand. And Jack said, Why don't we bring the civilian 
research and the military research together. So we set out. Can you 
imagine going into a war without having ready how we would help those 
soldiers coming back? Jack couldn't. And he did something about it.
  When you go to Walter Reed Hospital, a hospital that was supposed to 
be closed, if you remember, 4 years ago, and you see the state of the 
art, he did not give up on those soldiers, many of whom would be dead 
if it were not for what he did in getting the resources so that the 
state-of-the-art treatment for our soldiers would be there.
  To his friends on both sides of the aisle, let us remember when Jack 
would come to the microphone, and it wasn't often, but he came to the 
microphone during appropriations time, and he would say many times to 
me, Billy, watch how quick I'm there and I'll be gone. And you would 
think the chairman would want to give a dissertation. But he had done 
his homework. There were no speeches that were necessary. He did not 
mention platitudes. It was honor, duty, and then a nonpretentious exit.
  Good friend, you are not gone. We will remember you and we love you.
  Mr. KANJORSKI. I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski).
  Mr. LIPINSKI. I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for yielding.
  I know a lot of people have talked about Jack Murtha as a giant, and 
I really think that this institution probably will not see another man 
like Jack Murtha in many ways.
  But I really think what stands out most to me and what has come 
through here is that Jack Murtha had a heart of gold. He really cared 
about people. He cared about the men and women in our Armed Forces. He 
cared about his colleagues. And he cared about his constituents 
greatly, especially in his hometown of Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
  I really didn't get to meet Jack Murtha until I was elected in 2004, 
but I feel like I really started to get to know him before that. In 
2000 I started dating Judy, who is now my wife, and she is from 
Johnstown. Her family is still in Johnstown. So I would go to visit 
Judy's family in Johnstown and I would hear people talk about Jack 
Murtha. I would see what Jack Murtha did for his district. And I knew 
that his constituents, especially the people of Johnstown, loved Jack 
Murtha.
  When I was elected, I would often go say hello to Jack over in the 
Pennsylvania Corner, just come over to say hello, and so many times he 
would give me that smile and he'd tap his colleague next to him on the 
shoulder and say, This guy married a gal from Johnstown. And I always 
felt a very close connection to Jack because of that.
  I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity in these 5 years to 
get to know Jack Murtha and what he did for Johnstown. I certainly saw 
people suffer through floods, economic turmoil, and he really cared 
about the people, and doing all he could for them meant a lot to him.
  I will really miss Jack and what he meant to so many of us. I really 
think that Jack loved his job because he knew it gave him a great 
opportunity to do what he really believed, and that is take care of 
people, to help people out. And this job gave him the opportunity to do 
that, and he did it throughout all of his life. And because of that I 
will greatly miss Jack Murtha.
  God bless Jack Murtha, Joyce, and his entire family.
  Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Speaker, we have the Speaker who will be 
arriving and, as I understand it, we have additional Members who will 
make requests to speak for 5 minutes.
  Ms. LEE of California. Madam Speaker I rise to remember my friend and 
our dear colleague Congressman John Murtha.
  I was deeply saddened when I learned of Congressman Murtha's death. I 
share the sentiments of my colleagues on the floor today, and my heart 
goes out to the entire Murtha family for their loss.
  The people of Pennsylvania and of this entire country have lost a 
good and faithful servant with the passing of Congressman John Murtha.
  For nearly half a century, whether it was on the battlefield as a 
Marine, the Pennsylvania state legislature or on Capitol Hill, John 
Murtha always led with distinction and honor.
  As a veteran of the Vietnam War, Congressman Murtha served this 
country courageously and was a staunch advocate for our men and women 
in uniform.
  In the House of Representatives he was a true leader, and a man of 
conviction, who was always willing to share a word of wisdom.
  He had the courage to call for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq 
long before it was popular to do so and I will always be grateful for 
his willingness to take such a difficult stand.
  We have lost a friend and colleague, and our country has lost a great 
public servant and statesman. Congressman John Murtha will be deeply 
missed.
  My thoughts and prayers are with his wife Joyce, his daughter Donna, 
his twin sons Pat and John and his three grandchildren: Jack, Anne and 
Clayton.
  It is our charge to ensure that his memory and legacy lives on, and 
that we continue his fierce dedication, loyalty and love for the brave 
men and women of the Armed Forces.
  Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I and the following members rise in 
recognition of the late U.S. Representative John Murtha's lifelong 
dedication to members of our armed services: Representative Bruce 
Braley, Representative Tim Walz, Representative Keith Ellison, 
Representative James Oberstar, Representative Leonard Boswell, 
Representative David Loebsack, Representative Collin Peterson, and 
Representative Tom Latham.
  Chairman John Murtha was a passionate legislator and decorated ex-
Marine who never stopped fighting for our men and women in uniform. In 
1974, Murtha, then an officer in the Marine Reserves, became the first 
Vietnam War combat veteran elected to the House of Representatives. As 
Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, 
Congressman Murtha was a tireless advocate for our troops, military 
families, and our veterans on Capitol Hill. At a time when we are 
mourning his passing, it is important to recognize Chairman Murtha's 
work to ensure that veterans receive support. The undersigned members 
would like to call attention to the work he did to secure the benefits 
promised and earned by 22,000 National Guard and Reserve personnel in 
our states.
  In January of 2007, the Department of Defense authorized Post-
Deployment Mobilization Respite Absence (PDMRA) program, which provides 
additional pay when a soldier deploys more frequently than DOD policy 
requires. For the two years since the authorization of PDMRA, the 
Pentagon's implementation of the program has been slow and incomplete. 
As result, thousands of National Guard and Reserve members who have 
served multiple and extended tours in Iraq and Afghanistan did not 
receive the pay to which they are entitled. This problem has affected 
National Guard and Reserve personnel in every state across the nation. 
Members organized to bring attention to this problem and to find a 
resolution. The undersigned members have sent letters to the Pentagon, 
organized events, and met with armed services personnel for years and 
asked for the Chairman's assistance and leadership.
  Chairman Murtha heard our request and took action. He made phone 
calls directly to Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Army Secretary 
Pete Geren. He included language to remedy the delay in the FY10 
Defense Appropriations bill, and in numerous letters to the Department 
of Defense since 2007 Congressman Murtha supported his colleagues in 
making it clear that further delay in resolving this issue was 
unacceptable to our members of the armed services. Because of the 
Chairman Murtha's support, the Department of Defense

[[Page 1809]]

issued Army policy guidance for cash reimbursements for PDMRA for 
Reserve and National Guard personnel, which represents a crucial step 
in finally resolving this issue.
  The late Congressman John Murtha has shown throughout his time in the 
military and in Congress that he is a dedicated leader on fighting on 
behalf of military families.
  Ms. HARMAN. Madam Speaker, Jack Murtha was a paradox: a big man with 
an impressive war record who never wavered from his commitment to the 
wounded, the disadvantaged, and always challenged those who, in his 
strong opinion, underestimated the economic and human costs of war. He 
was a politician who constantly spoke his mind, and never worried about 
ruffling feathers. That's rare in today's Washington. Jack reached out 
to his colleagues--not just those who sat near him in the 
``Pennsylvania corner'' on the House floor, but to others whom he 
respected. The people of California's 36th District and I are lucky to 
have been one of those he looked out for. I remember his visit about a 
decade ago to the Los Angeles Air Force Base Space and Missile Systems 
Center, located in my Congressional district. Of course he cared about 
SMC's mission of development and acquisition of our nation's defense 
satellites, he also wanted to know about the people of SMC. He met with 
the generals and staff about how things were going, and whether funding 
was on track, but he also took the time to speak at a ``town hall'' 
style meeting with the workforce where he thanked them for their 
service and to check on their well-being. They will miss him. So will 
I. I hope Joyce and his family are comforted by how big the big man's 
impact was.
  Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the life of our 
dear friend and colleague, Chairman John Murtha. Jack was truly an all-
American--a committed public servant, decorated veteran of war, small 
businessman, devoted husband and father.
  Many have recalled in recent weeks his service on the front lines of 
combat. His experience in the military made him a lifelong advocate for 
our men and women in uniform and a compass for this body when it came 
to making some of the toughest issues we face--those related to the 
defense of the United States.
  Jack Murtha exercised his power to protect the country he loved, 
taking seriously the trust of his constituents and his responsibility 
to the American people. As Chairwoman of the foreign aid subcommittee 
and a member of the Select Intelligence Panel, I witnessed firsthand 
and benefited from his expertise on military strategy, intelligence, 
and foreign policy.
  His compassion and commitment to do what was right were equally 
impressive. On his broad shoulders, he carried a great burden to not 
only provide for our troops and our security, but to ensure that we 
have made this world better and safer, including for innocent civilians 
in warzones and vulnerable societies around the world. And, with a 
heavy heart, he regularly gave his time to lift the spirits of men and 
women recovering from injuries in battle, sharing with them the 
appreciation of a grateful nation.
  Finally, I would like to note his dedication to a goal we shared--
alleviating cancer, especially those unique to women. He not only 
worked to help adapt military technology to aid in the treatment of 
cancer, he and his loving wife Joyce have supported initiatives to 
directly assist breast cancer patients and survivors.
  Chairman Murtha was a giant among men, and his lifelong service to 
our country will be missed.
  Ms. HIRONO. Madam Speaker, I join with my colleagues in the House to 
express my deep sadness at the passing of one of the most extraordinary 
members to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Jack Murtha will 
be missed as a courageous statesman, a respected colleague, an 
effective legislator, a dedicated representative of his constituents in 
Pennsylvania, a true friend to those who wear the uniform of one of the 
U.S. Armed Services, a treasured friend, and most important as a 
beloved husband, father, and grandfather.
  Many of you served with Jack Murtha for decades; as a sophomore 
member of Congress, I only had the privilege of serving with Jack for a 
little over three years. Despite the fact that he was one of the most 
senior and powerful members of our body, Jack was interested in the 
needs of my district and helped me to secure funding to clean up sites 
in Hawaii impacted by Department of Defense activities.
  Congressman Murtha's decades of dedicated service in the U.S. Marine 
Corps and Reserve and his service in Vietnam gave him an appreciation 
of the sacrifices made by the men and women who serve in the Armed 
Forces. Nothing was more important to him than the wellbeing of service 
members and their families. And he and his beloved Joyce regularly went 
to visit the wounded at Walter Reed and other hospitals.
  Despite his years of service in the military and his long-time record 
as an advocate for the military, Jack did not hesitate to speak his 
conscience. Despite his initial support for the War in Iraq, he became 
disillusioned with the conduct of the war and called for the withdrawal 
of our troops. This took great courage and, in my view, speaks to the 
inherent honor of this fine man.
  It is still hard to believe that Jack is gone. He had such a dynamic 
presence that it feels as if he is still here with us--sitting in his 
corner holding court. In his book, From Vietnam to 9/11, Jack wrote, 
``Ever since I was a young boy, I had two goals in life--I wanted to be 
a colonel in the Marine Corps and a member of Congress.'' He achieved 
those goals and so much more.
  I send my deepest sympathy to Jack's partner of 55 years, Joyce 
Murtha; to his daughter Donna; his sons Pat and John; and his 
grandchildren. I join all my colleagues in giving thanks for Jack's 
life of service and accomplishment. Mahalo nui loa, Jack.
  Mr. SKELTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my friend 
and colleague Congressman John Murtha of Pennsylvania. It is with a 
heavy heart that I say goodbye to a friend of more than 30 years.
  Jack Murtha arrived in Washington to serve in this House in 1974, 
just a few years before I had the honor to join this distinguished 
body.
  Jack Murtha and I had a lot in common, in our love for the troops and 
for our country. We didn't always agree, but you always knew that his 
heart was in every fight he took on. People listened to his counsel. He 
had conviction. He inspired respect.
  The kind of respect that Jack Murtha had in this House doesn't come 
automatically. No one has it when they take the oath of office for the 
first time. It has to be earned.
  Jack Murtha was no nonsense. Like President Truman, he didn't suffer 
fools. You knew where he stood, and if you were lucky, you had him in 
your corner. He was a fighter, for his country and for the people of 
Pennsylvania.
  Jack Murtha was a leader. He loved our country. He loved the men and 
women of the Armed Forces, and especially the United States Marine 
Corps, of which he wore the uniform and served with great distinction.
  He also loved the Congress, and understood its indispensable role as 
a co-equal branch of our federal government. Anyone watching the House 
floor could see his leadership in action, as he held court with other 
members in the back corner. A master legislator, he built 
relationships, mentored other members, and conducted the business that 
runs this institution and plays a big part in running this country.
  With the passing of Jack Murtha, we have lost one of the giants of 
the House. I salute his dedicated service to our country--as a Marine, 
as a businessman and community leader, and as a Member of Congress.
  Jack Murtha will be deeply missed. My condolences go to his wife 
Joyce, his children Donna, Pat, and John, and also to the people of 
Pennsylvania he cared about so much and represented so well.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, first, let me thank Congressman 
Kanjorski for reserving this Special Order today to honor the life, 
legacy and service of our friend and colleague John Murtha.
  Our Nation has lost a gifted lawmaker, a devoted public servant and a 
true patriot. In 1974, Jack became the first Vietnam War combat veteran 
elected to Congress. His spirit emboldened and his resolve hardened by 
his service on the battlefield, he became a tireless advocate for the 
people of Pennsylvania and all Americans.
  We all know so well that he never lost his courage and his dedication 
to our Nation's security, our troops, or their families. Even after his 
election, he continued to serve in the Marine Corps Reserves until 1990 
as a Colonel, receiving the Navy's Distinguished Service Medal.
  From my first day here, Jack was always a mentor and a friend. When I 
was first appointed as a Cardinal on the Appropriations Committee, Jack 
was right there with sage advice and a helping hand. His no-nonsense 
exterior contained a fiery soul and fierce intelligence the equal of 
which this body has seldom known. Our Nation is surely better for his 
service to it and a grateful country grieves its loss.
  Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Joyce, their children, and 
extended family during this time.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Madam Speaker, Jack Murtha and I served 
together in this institution for over 30 years. We disagreed at

[[Page 1810]]

times over policy and politics, but I am proud to say that Jack was my 
friend.
  Throughout my time in Congress, I have never seen a more valiant 
defender of the men and women of our armed forces than Jack, nor a more 
steadfast advocate for our country's unequaled national defense.
  Years ago, when I was convinced that we should push forward quickly 
with development of the Predator UAV, Jack listened to my reasons and 
helped me push through the funding that has produced one of our most 
valuable weapons in the War on Terror.
  When I became chairman of the defense appropriations subcommittee, I 
counted on Jack Murtha to be a partner rather than an adversary when 
the welfare of our military was on the line. When we urged that the F-
22 program be reined in to ensure it was thoroughly tested, Jack was by 
my side and helped win the day and make that a better airplane.
  Just weeks ago, Jack and I traveled together to Afghanistan. We were 
under tight timelines that were influenced by the situation on the 
ground. Although the travel was hard and the schedule was arduous, Jack 
maintained the energy and dedication of a man half his age. His 
unwavering purpose was to learn as much as he could, gain as much 
insight from our commanders as possible, and see for himself the 
challenges our country faces in that region.
  He was a true patriot, and his passing is a cause for great sadness. 
This Congress will be a much lesser place without him.
  My wife Arlene and I offer our most sincere condolences to his 
family, and also to his second family--his Congressional staff and the 
Members and staff of the Appropriations Committee.
  Mr. BACA. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of a dear friend 
and colleague, loving father and grandfather, and a true American 
patriot, Rep. John Murtha.
  John served proudly when called to action in the Vietnam War, and his 
valor was recognized with the Bronze Star, and not one--but two Purple 
Heart awards.
  In all, John spent an astounding 37 years of his life in active and 
reserve duty service in the Marine Corps.
  In 1974, John heeded another call to duty, and began a life of public 
service here in the House of Representatives.
  John served his constituents in Western Pennsylvania for an 
impressive 19 terms.
  In Congress, he was respected for his political prowess--and his 
tireless passion to support America's men and women serving in uniform.
  John Murtha was a man who measured our nation's strength not only 
military might, but also in the well-being of our people; and I am 
proud to have served with him in this body.
  The thoughts and prayers of my wife Barbara and I go out to Joyce and 
all of John's family during this difficult time.
  Mr. QUIGLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Congressman John 
Murtha, who passed away on February 8th, 2010. Representative Murtha 
was an exemplary leader and an American patriot.
  Born into an Irish-American family, John left college in 1952 to join 
the Marine Corps. Here he would begin his course in leadership, 
becoming a Marine Corps drill instructor. His military career not only 
led him to receive a degree from the University of Pittsburgh, but also 
placed him on the front lines of service in the Vietnam War. During 
this time, he was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor device, two Purple 
Hearts, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.
  In 1974 John was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and had 
an extraordinary 36 year career, obtaining the distinction of 
Pennsylvania's longest serving Congressman two days before he passed. A 
fiercely independent-minded public servant, John strived for bipartisan 
solutions to our nation's struggles. He had no fear of partisan attacks 
and as the Chairman of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee he 
courageously spoke out against the Iraq War. His fearless calls for the 
withdrawal of American forces in Iraq, in the face of strong partisan 
confrontations, earned him the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage 
Award.
  I thank John for his service to our nation. I extend my deepest 
sympathies to John's wife Joyce, his children Donna Sue, John, and 
Patrick, and his grandchildren in this difficult time. John was a 
tremendous public servant who exemplified the spirit of America. He 
will be greatly missed.
  Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay my respects to a 
tireless champion for soldiers, veterans, and the middle class, a 
venerable lion of this body, and a treasured friend, Congressman Jack 
Murtha.
  The first Vietnam veteran ever elected to the House of 
Representatives, Congressman Murtha dedicated his career to America's 
fighting men and women, and always worked to put our troops and their 
safety first. I consistently relied on his wisdom and his insights on 
matters of defense and national security.
  From his position as Chairman of the Defense Appropriations 
Committee, Jack's extraordinary dedication to the well-being of our 
troops and their families was evident in his actions every day. He knew 
that keeping our soldiers out of harm's way meant providing them with 
state-of-the-art equipment, from submarines to helicopters. And with 
that in mind, he helped to maintain a defense-industrial base that 
brought high-paying, high-skilled manufacturing jobs both to his home 
state of Pennsylvania and my own state of Connecticut. His legacy will 
live on not only in his service to military men and women, but through 
the millions of jobs he helped to create in our region.
  Jack was also concerned with the well-being of Americans waging 
another kind of battle, and he always supported critical funding for 
research on diseases such as cancer, AIDS, and diabetes. In short, he 
was a great ally to Connecticut, a great Pennsylvanian, and a great 
American, and he will be deeply missed. This House is smaller after his 
passing.
  Mr. SHUSTER. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Representative Kanjorski 
for organizing this afternoon's special order to honor the memory of 
our friend and colleague Jack Murtha.
  Over the course of the hour many members of our delegation and the 
House will add their own personalized sentiments to memorialize Jack 
Murtha and I appreciate the opportunity to add my own remarks today.
  Jack Murtha will always be remembered for his extraordinary service 
to his country, both in and out of uniform. He always put the interests 
of his country, his state, and his constituents first and he will be 
greatly missed by all who knew him.
  Outside of Pennsylvania, Jack Murtha will be remembered--and rightly 
so--for his skills in navigating the ins and outs of House rules and 
procedures. He will be remembered as someone who could get things done 
in Washington.
  As a former colonel in the Marine Corps, Jack never forgot Congress' 
primary responsibility to provide for our common defense. His unceasing 
commitment to our national security will go down as legend in 
Washington, as will the work he did on behalf of our men and women in 
the military through his chairmanship of the Subcommittee on Defense 
Appropriations.
  For those of us from Pennsylvania, especially the western part of the 
state, Jack will always be remembered and greatly missed for the dogged 
determination he showed over his career to make sure the needs of the 
people he represented were met.
  There is little doubt that Jack left an indelible mark on this House 
and his impact will still be felt long after he is gone.
  Personally, I will always remember Jack as a friend to both my father 
and me over the 36 years he served the people of the 12th district of 
Pennsylvania.
  Jack was an extraordinary person--a tireless advocate for his 
constituents, and a champion for our national security. We have lost a 
true patriot. I send my condolences to Jack's wife Joyce and their 
children. My thoughts and prayers continue to be with them and the 
people of the 12th District.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, thank you for allowing me 
to say a few words about our friend Jack Murtha. First, I would like to 
advise Mrs. Murtha that I am her adopted son. I don't know if Jack ever 
told you (Mom). But, he did adopt me.
  He took me under his wing. It was warm in the winter and cool in the 
summer. He also taught me a few things. He taught me to be courteous to 
everyone and that everyone is special. He made us all feel special. He 
was more comfortable with the privates than with the generals. He made 
everyone feel important.
  He would make the little people feel needed and appreciated. He had a 
great sense of humor and enjoyed telling his stories and jokes. He had 
a big heart and tremendous compassion for people.
  Unfortunately, a whole lot of people--including our illustrious 
press--never knew that Jack Murtha.
  With the exception of his family, I was more fortunate than all of 
you. Every Thursday or Friday before we broke for the week, I would say 
goodbye to him. Because of his knee problem, I would help him down from 
his seat--the only reserved seat in Congress. Then, I would shake his 
hand and give him a kiss goodbye. I did not know Wednesday January 27th 
would be the last time I would kiss my friend good bye.
  Jack Murtha was your friend. Jack Murtha was the best friend of the 
men and women in

[[Page 1811]]

uniform. He will be deeply missed. We will never see another Jack 
Murtha.
  Mr. MOLLOHAN. Madam Speaker, I join my colleagues today to express my 
deep sadness at the passing of our colleague, Jack Murtha.
  As I look around the Floor of the House this evening, I see Democrats 
and I see Republicans. I see veteran members of the so-called 
``Pennsylvania corner'' and I see freshmen members--from California, 
from the northeast, from the south. I see Jack's fellow appropriators, 
and I see members who, on other days perhaps, boast proudly of never 
seeking earmarks. Jack Murtha was one of the few members of this body 
who could draw together such an eclectic group.
  That is not a surprise--for Jack Murtha was truly a man of the House. 
He was a Member's Member. He cared about his colleagues, and he 
respected his colleagues--even when he thought they were wrong. Being 
able to disagree civilly has--to the great detriment of our public 
life--become an uncommon quality in Washington. Jack practiced it 
better than anyone.
  Jack was a legislator. His ability and willingness to work with 
almost anyone was one of the reasons Jack was so effective--if you're a 
Democrat and wanted something done, you wanted Jack on your side. If 
you're a Republican and wanted something done, you wanted Jack on your 
side.
  Jack was a Representative. He loved his District, respected his 
constituents, and worked as hard for them as any Member ever has.
  Jack was an institutionalist. He believed in this House of 
Representatives, he defended its prerogatives, and he protected them. 
It has been my great privilege to work closely with two of the greatest 
defenders Congress has ever seen--the senior Senator from my own state 
. . . and Jack Murtha.
  Jack was a leader. His respect for his colleagues and his commitment 
to this House informed his role as Chairman. Jack recognized the 
importance of what we do here, and Jack was always--always--prepared. 
There was never a man more suited to the gavel than Jack Murtha.
  Jack was a Marine. If he had not been a Marine, he could have played 
the part--the man radiated strength and purpose in every action he 
took. But Jack not only looked the part, he was the genuine article. 
And there is, of course, no such thing as a former Marine--once a 
Marine, always a Marine. As fiercely as Jack defended the prerogatives 
of Congress, his commitment to our House took a back seat to his 
commitment to men and women in uniform. The service member--an 
infantryman outside Fallujah, a Marine in Afghanistan, an airman in 
Bagram, a sailor in the Persian Gulf--has never had a better protector 
than Jack Murtha. Jack was one of them.
  That is the chief reason he didn't hesitate when he came out so 
publicly against the War in Iraq--something that earned him the respect 
of many and the enmity of some. I don't know that he didn't care about 
either judgment, but I do know that neither applause nor condemnation 
guided his decision at all. His allegiance was to the men and women in 
the field.
  To me, Jack was a friend and a mentor. In a sense that was a 
relationship I inherited. My father, who represented West Virginia's 
First District until he retired in 1982, worked closely with Jack. 
Shortly after I won election to his seat, Dad told me that I would 
never go wrong seeking Jack's counsel. He was right.
  Finally, Jack was a family man, a loving husband and partner to his 
wife, Joyce, and parent to Donna, John, and Patrick. Their loss cannot 
be described by words. They have my deepest condolences.
  Jack will be missed by all.
  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of 
our former colleague, Congressman John Murtha. He died on February 8, 
2010, at age 77, following complications of surgery. John represented 
Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District for 36 years in Congress, 
longer than any Pennsylvania lawmaker.
  John Patrick Murtha was born June 17, 1932 in New Martinsville, West 
Virginia, and moved to Pennsylvania as a child. He graduated from the 
University of Pittsburgh in 1962 with a degree in economics and did 
graduate work in economics and political science at Indiana University 
of Pennsylvania.
  Congressman Murtha dedicated his life to serving the nation he loved, 
first in the military. He entered the U.S. Marine Corps in 1952, during 
the Korean War period, and served until 1955, joining the Reserves. 
Then, during the Vietnam conflict, he volunteered for combat and served 
as an intelligence officer in 1966 and 1967. John received the Bronze 
Star and two Purple Hearts for this service, retiring from the Marine 
Corps Reserve as a colonel in 1990.
  One of the first Vietnam veterans to sit in the House and a career 
reservist, John effectively applied this valuable insight to his work 
in Congress. As the Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee 
on Defense, he worked tirelessly for the benefit of the nation's troops 
and their families. For his political courage in speaking out against 
the Iraq war, and his dedication to principled public service, John was 
awarded the 2006 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.
  Congressman Murtha has earned a well-deserved place in history as a 
patriot, war hero and statesman. The nation will miss his dedication 
and vast experience in lawmaking, and we will miss him as a dear friend 
and generous mentor.
  I express my condolences to John's wife Joyce and their three 
children, and I urge everyone to honor and remember our colleague, John 
Murtha.
  Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I rise to say goodbye to a friend.
  New York City, and the rest of the world, lost a friend when Jack 
Murtha died.
  Jack Murtha served his country in every possible way.
  He served it in Vietnam as a Marine; he served in western 
Pennsylvania as a son, husband and father; and he served it for over 40 
years in Harrisburg and in Washington, as a legislator's legislator.
  He won respect for the honest, plainspoken, compassionate way he 
played all of these roles.
  But to me, he played those roles like a brother.
  He spoke often of the strong women in his family being essential to 
his success in life.
  His great-grandmother, he once recalled, told him at age 6, ``You're 
put on this Earth to make a difference.''
  Boy, did he ever.
  He volunteered as a Marine, first in the 1950s during the Korean war.
  He re-enlisted at age 34 and served in Vietnam--earning the Bronze 
Star, two Purple Hearts, and the Vietnamese Cross for Gallantry.
  He became the first Vietnam veteran to be elected to Congress, in a 
February 1974 special election, starting a legendary Washington career 
as a member of the Appropriations Committee.
  When I came to this chamber for the first time, the ``Pennsylvania 
Corner'' was in full flower. We grew close and even though we didn't 
agree on everything, we worked together often--on issues ranging from 
breast cancer research funding to the Intrepid Museum on the Hudson.
  When he decided that the Iraq war was unwinnable in 2005, he earned 
his stripes all over again, providing leadership on this crucial issue. 
He visited my district, and so many others, explaining how he came to 
his decision.
  Madam Speaker, as a Congressman, Jack Murtha won respect in these 
halls and on this floor . . . but as a man, he earned our love. We will 
miss him.
  My thoughts and prayers are with his wife Joyce, and the entire 
Murtha family.
  Mr. KILDEE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and memory 
of my friend, John Murtha.
  John was an extraordinary man, patriot and Congressman. He served 
with distinction as the Chairman of the House Appropriations Defense 
Subcommittee where his knowledge and expertise on military issues was 
unparalleled. Our troops and veterans had no greater advocate than John 
Murtha and the country that he loved so dearly is better for his years 
of service.
  His personal commitment to our troops was extraordinary. He visited 
our war zones to learn firsthand about the need on the ground and 
always made time to visit with our soldiers. No matter how busy he was, 
he would always ask me about my two sons who served as captains in the 
U.S. Army, and I knew that he genuinely cared, from the bottom of his 
heart.
  We all know that Jack was a proud marine, and their motto `Semper 
Fidelis,' was indeed the motto of his life.
  Madam Speaker, I am a better Member of Congress for knowing John 
Murtha and Congress as a whole is richer for his many years of service. 
I am honored to call him colleague and friend, and I will dearly miss 
his strength, dedication and friendship. God bless you John and 
Godspeed.
  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Madam Speaker, it is with great honor that 
I rise today to pay tribute to a dear friend and loyal public servant, 
the Honorable John Murtha. He was a strong voice for the constituents 
in the 12th District of Pennsylvania and honorably served as the 
Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.
  I, like so many of my colleagues, am blessed to have known Mr. Murtha 
on a professional and personal level. It is no surprise

[[Page 1812]]

that Mr. Murtha will be remembered as such an effective legislator. 
Given his proud service in the Marine Corps and passionate devotion for 
the greater good of our nation, Mr. Murtha consistently served as a 
moral compass for the U.S. Congress.
  About a year and a half after the Iraq War started, many wounded 
soldiers were transferred to Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Mr. 
Murtha visited these soldiers and witnessed the horrific wounds they 
were suffering with, such as losing a limb or losing complete eyesight. 
Mr. Murtha invited the veterans staying at Walter Reed, their families 
and members of Congress to a restaurant meal where he wanted the 
members to hear the stories of these courageous veterans. He wanted the 
veterans to express how they became wounded and what they believed 
Congress could do to help make sure our American soldiers were safe. 
Through legislation and appropriations funding, the stories from our 
veterans helped Congress push the military to improve their equipment. 
Humvee's and protective vests were improved to keep our soldiers safe 
from roadside bombs and other forms of hostility.
  In all his years as an appropriator and legislator, he has always 
advocated for the safety of our military and has fought to improve the 
quality of life for American soldiers and their families. It was 
typical of Mr. Murtha to be modest about all of the care he showed the 
soldiers and veterans in times of war. After learning of the 
unacceptable conditions veterans were subjected to at Walter Reed Army 
Medical Center, Mr. Murtha immediately reached out to Members of 
Congress. He knew it was our country's responsibility to bring justice 
to our nation's wounded soldiers by ensuring that they received the 
proper medical care they deserved.
  I extend my deepest condolences to his family, loved ones and 
friends. Mr. Murtha will be remembered as a man of honor, generosity 
and strength. His unfaltering dedication and care is what made him such 
an extraordinary person. It is with great sadness that I say goodbye to 
a great man and friend. I will miss him dearly. I ask my colleagues to 
join me in expressing the gratitude of the U.S. Congress for his 
longtime service and leadership as a U.S. Representative.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
celebrate the life and honor the accomplishments of Congressman John 
Murtha who passed away on February 8, 2010.
  America lost a great patriot with the passing of Congressman Murtha, 
and I join the people of Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District and 
countless other Americans in mourning his death. As a veteran, he never 
forgot the needs of our military and through his leadership as Chairman 
of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, he made sure that 
our military had the tools it needed to secure America's future. A 
frequent visitor to injured troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center 
and the National Naval Medical Center, Congressman Murtha deeply 
understood the sacrifices that these men and women made for our 
country. His ability to empathize with our servicemembers and veterans 
was absolutely remarkable, and I will deeply miss his leadership in 
Congress.
  Madam Speaker, today I join my fellow colleagues in mourning the 
death of Congressman Murtha who spent his life serving our country in 
both the military and the halls of Congress.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my 
great friend and our dear colleague, John Murtha. America has lost a 
true hero and patriot and the United States Congress has lost a giant. 
Madam Speaker, I submit for the record Keith Burris' column from the 
Journal Inquirer. The Journal Inquirer is a newspaper serving my home 
district and is the hometown voice of northern central Connecticut. 
Keith's words capture the essence of John Murtha, and I ask my 
colleagues to join with me in honoring the life of this humble man, 
dear friend and great American.

               [From the Journal Inquirer, Feb. 13, 2010]


                                Much Man

                          (By Keith C. Burris)

       In roughly 30 years in journalism I have met many 
     politicians. In the beginning, this was exciting. But after a 
     while, you realize that most of them are persons of 
     exceptional ambition, not exceptional conviction, skill, or 
     patriotism. Most people in politics are not very interesting.
       But a couple years ago, U.S. Rep. John Larson, himself an 
     exception to the rule, brought to the Journal Inquirer Rep. 
     John Murtha, of Pennsylvania. Murtha's back and forth with 
     editors and reporters here made for one of the most 
     fascinating hours of conversation I can remember.
       Murtha died this week at 77, of a medical mistake.
       There aren't many like him in Congress. There never were.
       First of all, Murtha, an ex-Marine officer, was not the 
     sort of fellow who needed a ``handler'' or a ``focus group'' 
     to calculate the political tides. Instead he used three 
     ancient tools--study, his mind, and his conscience.
       As a fine essay, reprinted from Politico on these pages, 
     documented, Murtha was famous for the Washington rituals he 
     did not observe. When asked a question, he answered it. He 
     did not hang with lobbyists or flacks. He did not go to 
     parties, but got up early and went to bed early. (According 
     to Politico, he would sometimes go home in the afternoon to 
     listen to the BBC to get a fresh slant on U.S. foreign 
     policy.) He did not court TV people or the Washington Post, 
     and didn't particularly know or care who those people were.
       And he didn't back down.
       He wasn't always right. And he knew that. He had the 
     courage to change his mind.
       But he was, as the saying goes, a ``stand-up guy.'' You 
     could not blow him down with a poll or a David Broder column.
       Murtha had the understated self-confidence that the rare 
     greats in politics have. I met Mike Mansfield, briefly, once, 
     and you felt it from him. Ditto John Stennis. I am sure that 
     Eisenhower had it. And maybe Ella Grasso. I know I have seen 
     and felt it in the presence of Eugene McCarthy, Ernest 
     Hollings, and John Glenn. Some public men seem to shed their 
     vanity as the years accumulate and they settle into their 
     work. They begin to internalize their love of country. 
     Instead of politics being more and more about them, it 
     becomes more and more about service. And they go about their 
     work with concentration and power, but minimal fuss. You felt 
     that with Murtha. There was no posturing in the man. He 
     looked you dead in the eye and he told you what he thought 
     was true and needed doing.
       Murtha was much in the news when he came to see us. He was 
     known as the military's greatest friend in Congress and he 
     had just come out for withdrawal from Iraq. I recall him as a 
     big man in a dark blue suit. His hands were the hands of a 
     working man. He might have been a machinist or a farmer 
     instead of a soldier and statesman. Someone here snickered 
     the other day that western Pennsylvania, from whence Murtha 
     came, was ``not really Pennsylvania, but Ohio.'' It's true in 
     the sense that Murtha was from a hardscrabble world where 
     people are still close to land and labor and where hard work 
     and professionalism are what matter, not pretense, not 
     birthright, not wealth or college degrees. It does not matter 
     if you have a family name and an MBA from Harvard. If you 
     want to invade Iraq, you better study the history of Iraq.
       Yeah, Murtha was against abortion and for the Second 
     Amendment and he was born in West Virginia and he owned a car 
     wash before he got into politics. But that old Vietnam 
     veteran could set Condoleezza Rice's head spinning and he 
     took no guff from right-wing no-nothings. If we had 50 
     ``Ohioans'' like John Murtha in the House we would have 
     health-insurance reform today.
       Murtha liked fellow pros. But pros who were rooted in 
     something. He got on well with the first George Bush and not 
     at all with the second. He thought Donald Rumsfeld was nuts 
     and Robert Gates a great man. He was a protege of Tip 
     O'Neill's and practiced O'Neill's adage that all politics is 
     local (Murtha never got over the old and honorable idea that 
     a congressman's first job is to provide for his 
     constituents), but Murtha trusted Rahm Emanuel about as far 
     as he could throw him.
       Murtha spent his spare time visiting wounded soldiers at 
     Bethesda Naval Hospital and Walter Reed. He did not take 
     cameramen with him. When he traveled to Iraq, it was not a 
     junket or a photo-op. He would tell the generals and 
     ambassadors, ``no PowerPoint,'' none of that stuff. Just talk 
     to me, he would say, and tell me what is going on. And then 
     he would go visit with the sergeants and the specialists. He 
     took Larson under his wing, and to Iraq, early in Larson's 
     congressional career because ``he goes home at the end of the 
     day and studies the CIA briefing books.''
       Murtha did not love the military as a concept, but as 
     people. Public servants like himself. His work for them in 
     Congress was like his work for the citizens of the 12th 
     District of Pennsylvania. He had a job to do. He was supposed 
     to take care of his people.
       He was much man, John Murtha.
       What a loss to the Congress and the country.

       

                          ____________________