[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10586]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 DISMAY WITH DOD GENERAL COUNSEL REGARDING RENAMING THE DEPARTMENT OF 
                                THE NAVY

  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. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to express my sincere dismay 
with the letter from Jeh Johnson, general counsel of the Department of 
Defense, to Senator Carl Levin, declaring the DOD opposition to Senate 
bill 504, legislation to rename the Department of the Navy as the 
Department of Navy and Marine Corps. In his letter Mr. Johnson states: 
``The renaming of the Department is unnecessary and would incur 
additional expense of several hundred thousand dollars a year over the 
next several years.''
  In response to my letter, the CBO report actually states that ``the 
bill would have very little effect on most U.S. Naval or Marine Corps 
installations. The cost of implementing this bill would be less than 
$500,000 a year over the next several years from appropriated funds. 
And enacting the bill would not affect direct spending or revenues.'' 
So therefore it would not have an impact, Mr. Speaker.
  With that said, I would like to ask Mr. Johnson, Do you think that 
our men and women of the United States Marine Corps are worth this 
small monetary amount? Have they not earned the right to be recognized 
and respected?
  Mr. Speaker, it is a joke for DOD to be concerned about such a small 
monetary amount considering the money that has been and is continuing 
to be wasted by the Department of Defense. An audit conducted by the 
Department of Defense IG revealed that the Federal Government failed to 
substantiate the disbursements of at least $7.8 billion of $8.2 billion 
spent for goods and services in Iraq. I would think Mr. Johnson should 
be more focused on serious money issues such as these instead of 
focusing his efforts on opposing the recognition that our marines truly 
deserve.
  Our marines have fought alongside the Navy for many years, and if 
they are truly viewed as one fighting team, they should receive equal 
recognition. This bill is not meant to take anything away from the 
Navy. It does not demand any special concessions for the Marine Corps. 
It simply adds three words to the name. I am baffled as to why Mr. 
Johnson felt the need to interject into this matter now, when it has 
been ongoing for the past 10 years. We have the support of a record 425 
Members of the House of Representatives and 80 Members of the Senate. 
The numbers alone should speak volumes.
  And, Mr. Speaker, before I close, I want people to see this young 
marine who gave his life for this country. The family received 
posthumously the Silver Star medal that he earned by giving his life 
for this country. This is an official copy. And it says the Secretary 
of the Navy, Washington, D.C., with the Navy flag. That's all it has at 
the heading, Mr. Speaker. Nothing about the Marine Corps in the 
heading, but Navy.
  If this bill should become law, what it would say is what you see 
now, Mr. Speaker, the Secretary of the Navy and Marine Corps, Navy 
flag, Marine flag, present the Silver Star posthumously to this man's 
family.
  Mr. Speaker, with that I would like to close as I always do, because 
our men and women, as Ms. Woolsey said, they are over there fighting, 
giving their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan, and I would ask God to 
please bless our men and women in uniform, please bless their families, 
and, God, please bless the House and Senate that we will do right in 
the eyes of God.
  And, dear God, I ask three times, please God, continue to bless this 
country. And, God, please always remember that we care that you look 
after us so that we will do what's right for your people. God, continue 
to bless America.

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