On the recordDecember 5, 2017
Today I rise to recognize and welcome the newly constructed naval ship, the USS Little Rock, to my home city of Buffalo, New York, where it will be docked until its formal commissioning on December 16. For the first time in the history of the United States Navy, the commissioning of the new USS Little Rock will take place alongside the original USS Little Rock, which served during the Second World War and for the last 40 years has stood tall as an honored exhibit at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this moment to thank the brave men and women of the United States Navy and crew of the USS Little Rock, past and present, for their service. On behalf of Buffalo and western New York, it is an honor and a privilege to serve as the site from which the USS Little Rock will embark on its next mission. This new vessel will make a formidable addition to the United States Navy fleet, and its dedicated crew, tasked with protecting our Nation's coasts and waterways, will ensure the ship lives up to its motto: ``Back with a Vengeance.'' ____________________
