Walter B. Jones: “as of today, H.R. 346, my legislation to designate the Department of Navy as the Department of Navy and Marine Corps…”

“as of today, H.R. 346, my legislation to designate the Department of Navy as the Department of Navy and Marine Corps, has 60 cosponsors. The language of this bill has already passed the full House of Representatives last month as part of the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act. This is the sixth year in a row that the House has voted to support this change. As a Member of Congress, I have heard for 14 years that the Navy and Marine Corps are one fighting team. If this is true, should not the team carry the name of both the Navy and the Marine Corps? The Marines do not serve beneath the Navy, they are coequal partners. I was very pleased to read a comment by the new Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, Carl Levin, in an article by The Hill newspaper last month, May 24, 2007, and I quote, ``When asked, Levin said he would 'keep an open mind' on whether to support [language in the House bill to change the name of the Navy to the Department of Navy and Marine Corps].'' Mr. Speaker, there is no cost to this change. Renaming the Department is a symbolic gesture, but is very important to the team. It is the right thing to do for the team.”