Walter B. Jones: “But the act spells out the mission of today's Marine Corps and clearly indicates that the Corps is a legal distinct…”

“But the act spells out the mission of today's Marine Corps and clearly indicates that the Corps is a legal distinct military service within the Department of Navy; that is, the Marine Corps and the Navy are coequal partners. The Marines do not serve beneath the Navy, they are a team. There is not a subordinate relationship between the Chief of Naval Operations and the Commandant of the Marine Corps. They are equal partners of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and it is time the Department of Navy recognizes the equal status. Mr. Speaker, that is why I have again introduced legislation, H.R. 346, to change the name of the Department of the Navy to the Department of Navy and Marine Corps. I am encouraged that this change has been included in the House defense authorization bill for the past several years, but it has not been accepted by the Senate. I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting the passage of this legislation, and I hope this year the House position will prevail in the Senate. This legislation is not about changing the responsibilities of the Secretary or reallocating resources, there is no cost to this change.”