On the recordFebruary 24, 2010
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.
